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

We are looking for an outstanding postdoctoral research fellow to join the Aspden group at the University of Leeds. The postdoc will be part of a large team (£5.6M, funded by a BBSRC Strategic Longer and Larger grant). The team aims to unravel the ‘ribosome code’, rules that explain how compositionally dissecting ribosomes enable translation of specific sets of mRNAs. Specifically, the postdoc will focus on dissecting the molecular mechanisms using bioinformatics and computational approaches. This will include analysing ribosome profiling data and direct-RNA-Seq data, as well as building novel pipelines and employing machine learning approaches to predict translational output. The postdoc will work closely with others of the team who will generate the data. Together we will be able to dissect conserved mechanisms of ribosome specialisation across eukaryotes, allowing us to unravel the ‘ribosome code’.

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 awarded a Silver award in 2020.  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. 

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 options plus life assurance.

•    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: 

Dr Julie Aspden

Email: j.aspden@leeds.ac.uk

Find out more about the Faculty of Biological Sciences and the RiboCode https://ribocode.org/ project. 

Closing Date: 02 Sep 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

Available on a fixed-term basis for 2 years (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 gene expression and RNA biology? Do you want to further your career in one of the UKs leading research intensive Universities?

We are looking for an outstanding research fellow to join the Aspden group at the University of Leeds. You will be part of a large team (£5.6M, funded by a BBSRC Strategic Longer and Larger grant). The team aims to unravel the ‘ribosome code’, rules that explain how compositionally dissecting ribosomes enable translation of specific sets of mRNAs. Specifically, you will focus on dissecting the molecular mechanisms by which specialised ribosomes regulate translation. This will include cloning, designing transgenics, CRISPR, RNAi, phenotypic assessment and translation assays (e.g. sucrose gradients). You will work closely with others of the team who will generate ribosome complexes and structurally characterise them. Together we will be able to dissect conserved mechanisms of ribosome specialisation across eukaryotes, allowing us to unravel the ‘ribosome code’.

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 successfully renewed its Athena Swan 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 Julie Aspden, Associate Professor in RNA Biology

Email: j.aspden@leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 12 Sep 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 p.a.

Overview of the Role

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

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. Survival rates have improved dramatically in recent years due to improved patient stratification but for patients who relapse, the mortality rate remains high. We have discovered a novel set of biomarkers that are present at high levels at diagnosis in patients who subsequently relapse (Gao et al., Nature 2025). This project will develop and validate an assay to detect these novel biomarkers so the assay is suitable for use in diagnostics labs. It will furthermore involve work with clinical geneticists and clinicians to integrate this assay with current genetic markers and clinical practices. A strong command of statistics and multi-centre collaborations is therefore required. Successful development of these novel biomarkers will enable patients at risk of relapse to be identified sooner and offered targeted treatments, which may ultimately lead to improved clinical outcomes for both paediatric and adult ALL patients.

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 options plus life assurance
• 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:

Joan Boyes, Associate Professor

Email: j.boyes2@leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 20 Aug 2026

Section: Research

Salary: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum