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.