Job Title: Research assistant Department: School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences Reporting to: Dr. Sudipto Das Location: RCSI, Dublin 2 Contract/Duration: Fulltime, specified purpose contract for up to 11 months, with possibility of extension Remuneration: Appointable at Research assistant up to Point 11 of the Irish University Association (IUA) researcher salary scale Closing Date: 12th September, 2024 Start date: October 2024 Summary of Post Title: Development of a diagnostic assay using a novel modality to early predict disease progression in Ulcerative Colitis patients Project Brief: Despite on-going efforts approximately 40% of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease - Ulcerative Colitis (UC) fail to respond to standard-of-care biologic treatment.
The lack of an effective approach to predict disease progression in patients, which would ultimately save the patient from unnecessary treatment, thereby presents a significant unmet clinical need that requires to be addressed.
Through our ongoing work we have identified a specific gene expression panel as well as a protein-based biomarker which demonstrates the strong potential to predict disease progression in UC patients at an early stage.
The translational research project is a distinct and innovative consortium of consortium of experts from clinical, academic and industrial sectors, which aims to address this clinical challenge through a clear bench to bed-side approach.
Specifically, this research project will enable us to collaborate with Serosep Ltd. ( to develop and evaluate a novel gene expression panel or immunohistochemistry-based diagnostic assay using patient-derived biopsies collected from a multi-hospital initiative.
Successful completion of this project will thus lead to development of a diagnostic panel prototype which would be further tested through clinical trials prior to its CE-IVD approval and clinical application in IBD clinics in a routine basis.
Objectives of this post: This project will involve development and evaluation of a novel gene expression panel as well as a immunohistochemistry-based biomarker as a potential diagnostic test to predict disease progression in patients with Ulcerative Colitis.
Description of research group: The Epigenetics of Gastrointestinal Diseases research group (EpigastroDRG) led by Dr. Das is a highly dynamic team that includes researchers from various scientific disciplines.
The group aims to apply novel bioinformatics approaches to epigenomic/multi-omic data generated from large patient cohorts in order to identify novel biomarkers of treatment response and disease progression in diseases such as IBD and Colorectal cancer.
In addition, the group is actively involved in validating the phenotypic role of these candidate biomarkers as well as various epigenetic targeting agents using novel models of IBD and Colorectal cancer.
Training and career development opportunities: The following training opportunities will be available to the successful candidate: This project involves collaborations with three key clinical partners across Dublin, as well as Industry partners Serosep Ltd, Ireland.
The role will therefore allow the post-doctoral researcher to interact and collaborate with these partners enabling them to enhance their skill sets from a clinical as well as industry perspective while increasing their own collaborative network.
Opportunity to work with state-of-art gene expression and immunohistochemistry platforms with support from academic and industry partners Opportunity to receive hands-on training on basic and advance bioinformatic skills including analysis/interpretation of next-generation sequencing data.
Opportunity to contribute to any ongoing projects beyond IBD within the group including colorectal cancer, enabling co-/senior authorship on high impact peer-review publications.
Support from Dr. Das as well as the RCSI Office of Research & Innovation to apply for national and international competitive PhD applications Opportunity to supervise undergraduate research projects Publication list/profile of Dr. Das: Specifically, the duties of the post are: The successful candidate will be expected to be highly motivated to perform with a high level of independence.
The successful candidate will work with external collaborators (academic, clinical and industry) and internally within RCSI The candidate would be expected to carry out some lab management duties and assist in developing new modalities and efficiencies to ensure proper lab maintenance The candidate would be expected to write scientific reports and reviews.
The candidate will work in the laboratory with researchers at various training levels and would be expected to provide training and supervision of students Undergo appropriate training for specialised technical procedures, career training and development both in Ireland and overseas as may be required from time to time.
Participate in other research programmes within the laboratories.
Ensure that all RCSI policies and procedures are adhered to.
Comply with statutory legislation and RCSI rules and requirements in furtherance of your own and general staff welfare and safety.
Represent the best interests of RCSI at all times.
Application Process Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal before the closing date with your CV and cover letter.
Informal Enquiries can be directed to .
Please note we do not accept CVs directly.
