진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) for Cartilage Regeneration

Department: Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine

Reporting to: Dr Eamon Sheehy & Prof Fergal O’Brien

Location: Tissue Engineering Research Group, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2

Contract/Duration Full-time, Specified purpose contract up to 12 months

Remuneration: Salary is according to Research Ireland salary scales and is dependent on experience

Closing Date: 18th of August

RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates whose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2025-2029” at RCSI. Our students come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This makes our university stronger and ensures we hire the best talent.

Innovating for a Healthier Future 2023-2027 is RCSI’s new five-year strategic plan. Through it, RCSI will enhance human health by meeting the health workforce needs of society, creating the insights and inventions that drive health improvements, and working in partnership with patients and the public in support of better health and well-being for all. The strategy unites the RCSI community in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals – with a particular focus on Goal 3, which targets good health and well-being.

For each of the last six years, RCSI has been positioned in the Top 300 of universities worldwide in the Times Higher World University Rankings. We are proud that RCSI ranks fifth in the world for “Good Health and Well-being” in the Times Higher Education #SDG #SDG Impact Rankings 2024. This reflects our commitment to supporting people of all ages to live healthy lives and our work to promote the concepts of well-being and positive health. In 2024, RCSI was delighted to be named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in Ireland.

At RCSI, our core values of Respect, Collaboration, Scholarship, and Innovation are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where every colleague is valued and empowered to thrive. Our dedication to these values ensures that we foster a culture of mutual respect, open collaboration, continuous learning, and innovative thinking. Join us at RCSI, where your contributions will be recognised, and you will be part of a dynamic team making a real impact on global health.

About Our Research

RCSI recognises that excellence in research is critical to the quality of its educational activities, its credibility, and, overall, to its mission to enhance human health. RCSI’s research strategy aims to build upon its strength in translational biomedical and clinical research to deliver transformational, high impact changes in health care. Targeting both Irish national and EU funding, along with increased collaboration with industry, is a major part of the RCSI research strategy. Forging increased collaboration between RCSI PIs and industry is of critical importance to achieving success in this area. RCSI is also committed to provide its researchers with the supports and developmental opportunities to enable them to continuously grow and support their overall career development.

Summary of Post

This project targets the development of an advanced therapy medical product (ATMP) comprising a 3D-printed gene-activated scaffold for cartilage regeneration. The project aims to reinforce highly porous multi-layered collagen-based scaffolds with 3D-printed polycaprolactone frameworks and to functionalise these reinforced scaffolds with therapeutic genetic cargos in order to ameliorate joint inflammation and promote hyaline cartilage formation. The role is part an RCSI-managed, Research Ireland Accelerating Research to Commercialization (ARC) – Therapeutics Hub project which is co-funded through EU Regional Development funding. Successful candidates will join a multidisciplinary team in Prof Fergal O’Brien’s Tissue Engineering Research Group. The project will involve development of a working prototype of the ATMP and validation through in vitro and in vivo testing while contributing to commercialization activities (e.g. business plan development) and IP applications. Training courses in entrepreneurship will be available through the ARC Hub. The project will combine aspects of additive manufacturing, scaffold fabrication, tissue engineering and gene therapy. We are looking for candidates with experience in tissue engineering, material science, genetics or immunology. Experience in chondrogenic tissue culture, animal handling, 3D-printing or gene therapy is highly desirable.

Specifically, the duties of the post are:

• Scaffold fabrication using 3D-printing technologies and lyophilisation.
• Characterization of scaffold properties including mechanical testing and architecture assessment.
• Fabrication and characterization of nanoparticle-complexed genetic cargos (plasmid DNA, RNAi)
• In vitro testing of ATMP biocompatibility (e.g. chondrogenic tissue culture, cytotoxicity assays, rt-qPCR immunohistochemistry).
• In vivo implantation of ATMP and subsequent tissue analysis.
• Undertaking training in relevant entrepreneurship and business development skills via the ARC Hub services.
• Development of Intellectual Property applications and research publications relevant to the project.
• Grant writing and funding acquisition.

Qualifications – (Essential):

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Immunology or a related topic (Postdoctoral Researcher)

Knowledge & Experience – (Essential):

• Demonstrate knowledge and expertise within the field (e.g. through publications, patents or research awards)
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the policy, practices and procedures that are relevant to the role. This will include knowledge and understanding of Research Ethics, and may also include broader University, sector, and external sponsor or funder policies.
• Demonstrate the ability to quickly adapt to new techniques and research environments.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proficiency with basic molecular biology techniques (e.g. rt-qPCR, biochemical assay kits, immunohistochemistry).
• Past research experience in tissue engineering/3D printing/gene-therapy.

Knowledge & Experience – (Desirable):

• Experience in material characterization of scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.
• Knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms of chondrogenesis and inflammation.
• Experience in gene-therapy
• Assessment of chondrogenesis and inflammation using biochemical assays and gene expression analysis.
• Cell/tissue culture experience.
• LAST course qualification in animal handling.
• Familiarity with research commercialization.
• Capacity to innovate and problem solve in research environments.
• Track record of high impact research (e.g. publications, research prizes, IP applications/patents)

We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application — we’d love to hear from you.

Application Process

Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal on the closing date with your CV and cover letter.

Click here to read our Recruitment and Selection Policy for Researcher.

Informal Enquiries:

Informal enquiries are invited in the first instance through Clarissa Disconzi, Human Resources Department (email: clarissadisconzi@rcsi.ie). All applications for this post must be made through the career's webpage www.rcsi/careers. Clarissa can arrange for relevant queries on the academic aspects of the role to be addressed by the hiring manager. Please note we do not accept CVs directly.

Employee Benefits

At RCSI, we help care for our people so they can focus on our mission to Educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health. RCSI truly goes above and beyond to support its employees, ensuring they have everything they need to thrive both personally and professionally. Here's a glimpse of the fantastic benefit available:

Health and Wellbeing:

• Our Inspire Programme promotes the importance of taking care of both our general health and mental health. Inspire manages the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offered through SpectrumLife. Past events held by Inspire have included, workshops on mindfulness practices, yoga, nutritional advice, financial advice on mortgages, pensions & health insurance from leading experts, fitness challenges, baking competitions, weight loss programmes, annual flu vaccination campaign and many more.
• You can also enjoy access to an onsite gym for just €10 per month.

Work –Life Balance:

• Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for fostering employee well-being, productivity, and overall satisfaction. At RCSI, we offer flexible working arrangements, study leave, and career breaks. In addition to 20 days of annual leave, employees receive an extra 6.5 days of university privilege days, which occur annually around the Christmas and Easter breaks.

Family Benefits:

• RCSI offers enhanced family leave to our working parents with fully paid Maternity, Adoptive, Paternity and Surrogacy Leave. We also offer the first two weeks of Parents leave fully paid for, as well as the option to take Parental Leave until your child is 18 years old. We provide access to Platform 55, a new Parents Platform to support staff before, during, and after becoming a parent. We also offer flexible working, discounted Giraffe crèche services of up to 20% and a Parents and Carers’ Network.

Financial Security:

• Benefit from automatic enrolment in a pension scheme with Willis Towers Watson with the employer contributions increasing with your length of service, Death in Service of up to 4 times your salary, long-term illness and disability income replacement, and free advice on health, motor, and home insurance.

Discounted Services:

• Avail of discounted GP services, Taxsaver commuter tickets, the BiketoWork scheme, free eye tests at the National Optometry Centre, and discounted parking at St. Stephen's Green/RCSI car park.

Recognition:

• At RCSI, we value and recognise the contributions of our staff through various awards and events, such as Long Service recognition, the Vice Chancellor Staff Awards, and through Research Day.

Professional Growth:

• RCSI’s Staff Learning and Development is committed to providing colleagues with opportunities and support to help them reach their full potential and thrive at work. Offerings include a comprehensive programme of staff training, management and leadership development, mentoring, coaching and funding support for further study.

Staff Networks:

• Additionally, we support a range of staff networks, including the Women’s Network, Postdoctoral Staff Network, Parents & Carers’ Network, Project Manager’s Network, LGBTI+ Network, Age Friendly Network etc. These networks help RCSI to foster a sense of community and inclusivity.

Sports and Social Club:

• Engage in a variety of activities such as Yoga, Pilates and a variety of different Fitness classes. Enjoy social evenings, Book Clubs, Summer BBQs and one-off events like the Taste of Dublin, Bloom, Dublin Horse Show and Dublin Zoo. We also have a variety of discount tickets for shows and events through the year.

Note: This job description may be subject to change to reflect the evolving requirements of the Department and RCSI. Similar vacancies that arise in the next 6 months may be filled from the pool of applicants that apply for this position. RCSI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or race. RCSI is committed to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across everything we do. This ensures we can all work and learn in an environment defined by dignity and respect. Eligibility to work in Ireland is a requirement of this role, Proof of eligibility documentation will be required at a later date. Under limited and specific circumstances (research/ specialist roles) RCSI may be in a position to seek a hosting agreement and/or work permits. Employees are required to undertake 6 months service in their current role before applying for other internal opportunities, unless agreed in advance by the SMT representative.