This role will be based on the university campus. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in cryoEM/ET and want to join an interdisciplinary, international team to make the next breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease research? Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

We are looking for a talented postdoctoral research fellow to join our team investigating protein structures situated within human brain by fluorescence-guided cryoET. This 8-year Wellcome Discovery Award, ‘Seeing inside the human brain’ will involve 3x PDRAs, a research coordinator, two research technicians and a PhD student working between Leeds, London and Amsterdam to decipher pathological mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease at source. This work will build on our recent breakthrough of determining structures within tissues cryoET (Gilbert et al., Nature, 2024). You will work with an integrated team of structural biologists, pathologists and neurologists using correlative imaging and cryoET to investigate the structural basis of amyloid assembly, spread and toxicity within Alzheimer’s disease. 

You will be based in the laboratories of Rene Frank. For this position you should have (or be close to completing) a PhD in Structural biology (cryoEM/ET) to elucidate protein assembly mechanisms.

The University of Leeds and the Faculty of Biological Sciences are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN (the national body that promotes gender equality in higher education), and the Faculty of Biological Sciences was re-awarded a Silver award in 2025.  We are proud to be an inclusive Faculty that values all staff, and are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. Our Athena SWAN webpage provides more information. 

Salary Requirements of the Skilled Worker Visa Route 

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

What we offer in return 

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year! 
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary 
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls. 
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team. 
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!   

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

René Frank, Associate Professor & UKRI Future Leader Fellow

Email: r.frank@leeds.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 27 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 p.a.

Salary: Grade 7 (£41,064 - £48,822 p.a.)

This role will be based on the university campus. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in ion channel research? Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

We are researching pharmacological treatments for KCNT1-associated childhood epileptic disorders, for which there is presently no effective therapy. KCNT1 mutations cause an increase in KNa1.1 potassium channel activity and we have used protein structure-based virtual screening to identify novel potassium channel inhibitors. The research builds on our previous work in this area (see Cole et al., 2020, iScience and Caseley et al.,2026, Eur. J. Med. Chem.) and aims to progress hit candidates to lead molecules for further development as a drug. We are looking for a candidate with experience in ion channel function or pharmacology who would like to apply their expertise in the discovery of potential treatments for a rare neurological disorder. The role, funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, will involve pharmacological characterisation of KNa1.1-inhibiting molecules using fluorescence microplate reader assays, manual and automated patch clamp electrophysiology. The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing our understanding of how compounds inhibit potassium channels, and which chemical properties determine their potency and selectivity. Our interdisciplinary project team includes Dr Jonathan Lippiat (ion channel biology), Dr Katie Simmons (medicinal chemistry), and Dr Martin McPhillie (medicinal chemistry).

You should have a PhD (or close to completion) in ion channel research or a closely allied discipline with experience in patch clamp electrophysiology and mammalian cell culture.

The University of Leeds and the Faculty of Biological Sciences are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN (the national body that promotes gender equality in higher education), and the Faculty of Biological Sciences was re-awarded a Silver award in 2025. We are proud to be an inclusive Faculty that values all staff, and are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. Our Athena SWAN webpage provides more information. 

Salary Requirements of the Skilled Worker Visa Route 

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Dr Katie Simmons

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 6551

Email: k.j.simmons@leeds.ac.uk 

Dr Jonathan Lippiat

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 4236

Email: j.d.lippiat@leeds.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 20 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 p.a.

Salary: Grade 7 (£41,064 - £48,822 p.a.)

Available on a fixed-term basis for a maximum of 13 months (1 July 2026 - 31 July 2027) (to complete specific time limited work)

This role will be based on the university campus. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in protein structure/function analysis by integration of biochemical, biophysical and structural methods? Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

Antibiotic resistance is projected to cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050, with gram-negative (diderm) pathogens comprising 9 of the 12 bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. The outer membrane (OM) of these pathogens acts as a first line of defence against an antibiotic assault and, therefore, finding ways to perturb OM assembly may deliver new routes to kill gram-negative bacteria, or sensitise them to existing antibiotics. We have been studying the mechanism by which outer membrane proteins (OMPs) reach the OM, how chaperones facilitate OMP delivery, and how the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) folds/inserts its clients into the OM (e.g. Schiffrin et al, Commun Biol, 2022; Csoma et al, 2025; Fenn et al, 2024; Calabrese et al, Nat Commun, 2020). 

In this project we aim to gain new information about a key player in OMP assembly, the periplasmic chaperone SurA. We have previously identified two hotspot regions on SurA that are critical for OMP recognition and now seek to address the following important questions:

• What are the sequence determinants for OMP recognition and how is communication between binding sites achieved? [using NMR, ITC, native MS, peptide arrays]
• How does SurA modulate the conformational ensemble of its OMP clients and remodel them to ensure they remain folding-competent? [using smFRET, HX-MS, NMR and other methods]
• How do mutations in key hotspots alter the range of OMPs found in the OM [using proteomics] and are different hotspots on SurA responsible for binding and delivering different OMPs to BAM [using crosslinking-MS]?

Given that deletion of SurA results in OM defects, reduced pathogenicity, and loss of OM integrity, SurA could be a good target for the development of new antimicrobials. 

You will be responsible for the acquisition, analysis and integration of data obtained from a range of experimental (including smFRET, proteomics, NMR) and computational (e.g., AlphaFold) techniques, enabling the characterisation of complex and challenging systems involved in OMP chaperoning by SurA and delivery to BAM.

You will be based in the laboratories of Dr Antonio Calabrese, Professor Sheena Radford and Dr Anastasia Zhurvaleva, and work closely with collaborators at Leeds. You should have a PhD (or be close to completion) in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics or a related discipline. You will have an interest in analytical techniques, and whilst significant experience in structural biology and/or biophysics is essential, training in any areas that you lack experience will be provided.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Dr Antonio Calabrese, Associate Professor

Email: a.calabrese@leeds.ac.uk 

Prof Sheena Radford, Astbury Professor of Biophysics

Email: s.e.radford@leeds.ac.uk

Dr Anastasia Zhurvaleva, Lecturer in Biological NMR Spectroscopy

Email: a.zhuravleva@leeds.ac.uk 

Closing Date: 13 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

Location: University of Leeds city campus and University of Leeds farm, Tadcaster

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you looking for a new challenge?  Do you have experience of organising field trials?  Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research intensive Universities?

We are seeking a Field Trial Technical Specialist with a strong interest in regenerative agriculture to join our research team. 

This role offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to high-impact research aimed at advancing evidence-based practice for regenerative farming systems. This role is ideal for someone passionate about developing regenerative farming systems, with experience of managing and monitoring field trials, and who is eager to contribute to innovative research to provide evidence-based practical farming techniques that enhance soil health, biodiversity and crop resilience.

You should have proven experience of organising, managing and running field trials as well as monitoring and measuring soil and crop characteristics.

The University of Leeds and the Faculty of Biological Sciences are committed to providing equal opportunities for all and offer a range of family friendly policies. The University is a charter member of Athena SWAN (the national body that promotes gender equality in higher education), and the Faculty of Biological Sciences was re-awarded a Silver award in 2025. We are proud to be an inclusive Faculty that values all staff, and are happy to consider job share applications and requests for flexible working arrangements from our employees. Our Athena SWAN webpage provides more information. 

Salary Requirements of the Skilled Worker Visa Route 

Please note that due to Home Office visa requirements, this role may only be suitable for first-time Skilled Worker visa applicants if they are eligible for salary concessions. For more information, please visit the Government’s Skilled Worker visa page. 

What we offer in return

•    26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!

•    Generous pension scheme plus life assurance – The University contributes 14.5% of salary.

•    Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.

•    Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.

•    Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Ruth Wade, Lecturer in Sustainable Agriculture

Email: r.wade@leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 08 Jul 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £33,951 to £39,906 per annum