Research Fellow Department of Microbes, Infection and Microbiomes 106774 Grade 7

Position Details

Department of Microbes Infection and Microbiomes School of Infection Inflammation and Immunology College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 36636 to 46049 with potential progression once in post to 48822

Grade: 7

Full Time Fixed Term contract up to February 2029

Closing date: 14th December 2025

Background

This exciting BBSRC funded project will seek to understand how Gram-negative bacteria control the influx and efflux of antibiotics. We are seeking applications for a Research Fellow to work with Professor Jessica Blair (School of Infection Inflammation and Immunology) Dr Tim Overton (School of Chemical Engineering) and Professor Sara Jabbari (School of Mathematics) on the BBSRC funded project Understanding the rules of impermeability in Gram negative bacteria.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham Imperial College London and the Quadram Institute working together to understand how to maximise antibiotic accumulation inside bacterial cells. The successful candidate for this post will have a strong background in microbiology research (ideally AMR).

The post is available for a period of 36 months with the potential to extend to 60 months. The anticipated start date is 1^st March 2026 (with some flexibility).

Applicants should have a PhD in Microbiology ideally in the area of antimicrobial resistance awarded or submitted at the time of taking up the position.

In addition to completing the application form you should make sure to upload the following: a cover letter a CV (including full publication list) and a summary of your previous research experience (2 pages maximum).

Role Summary

• Design conduct and analyse experiments to measure intracellular accumulation in Gram-negative pathogens using fluorescent dyes and antibiotics in plate reader and flow cytometry assays.
• Develop new methods to measure aspects of influx and efflux in Gram negative pathogens.
• Perform extensive genetic manipulation of microbes to investigate hypotheses generated during the project.
• Communicate and work with collaborators (PIs postdocs PhD students) within and across institutions to drive progress against project aims.
• Work within the specified research grant and contribute to writing bids and generating additional funding.

Main Duties

• Analyse and interpret data
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication research seminars presentations etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research including drafting of risk assessments and COSHH forms
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods such as scientific experimentation literature reviews and research interviews
• Present research outputs including drafting academic publications or parts thereof and present research outputs through seminars and/or posters
• Provide guidance as required to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Person Specification

• First degree in biological or biomedical sciences and a PhD degree (or near to completion) in the field of microbiology ideally antimicrobial resistance
• Significant experience with molecular and phenotypic microbiology experimentation along with experience of bioinformatic analysis of microbial transcriptomics and genomics data. Ideally this would include significant experience of flow cytometry
• Ideally would have experience of interdisciplinary working
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010 and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Further particulars can be foundhere

Informal enquiries to Jessica Blair email:

Use of AI in applications:We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website.