Posted on Nov 09, 2020Ref: 012765
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Applications are invited for a temporary post of a Research Assistant within UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science.
Ageing is the gradual and irreversible breakdown of living systems associated with the advancement of time, which leads to an increase in vulnerability and eventual mortality. Despite recent advances in ageing research, the intrinsic complexity of the ageing process and what is termed 'healthy ageing' has prevented a full understanding of this process. Therefore, ageing while maintaining health remains a grand challenge in contemporary biology.
The aim of LongHealth, a five year research programme funded by Science Foundation Ireland, is to uncover and validate the regulation of molecular pathways that drive longer healthspan in mammals, using bats as an alternative model system. This will provide a better understanding of the ageing process and its genomic regulation, thus identifying novel molecular targets that in the future, could be modified to alleviate human ageing.
To do this, wild populations of exceptionally long-lived and short-lived bats will be studied as they age- integrating cutting-edge comparative phylogenomics, with novel ex-vivo cell biology and wildlife population transcriptomics- to uncover the protective cellular mechanisms that have evolved in bats to enable them have longer 'health-spans'.
This project will integrate small mammal field work, with comparative genomics, transcriptomics, comparative cell and ageing biology. The RA will be involved in all aspects of this research, from field biology, comparative genomics and cell biology and will work closely with PI Teeling in further developing molecular assays and generating the required data.
Salary: €23,061 - €32,596 per annum
Appointment on the above range will be dependent on qualifications and experience.
Closing date: 17:00hrs (local Irish time) on 7 December 2020.
Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 17:00hrs (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.
Prior to application, further information (including application procedure) should be obtained from the Work at UCD website: https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/