Research Fellow

Position Details

Department of Metabolism and Systems Science

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822. As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £37,694.

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to October 2030

Closing date: 27th October 2026

UK and International travel may be required for this role.

Background

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumours arising from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and sympathetic/parasympathetic paraganglia. Approximately 35% of patients carry germline mutations in one of over 20 known PPGL predisposition genes, with mutations in SDHx genes (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD, SDHAF2) being most common.

Patients with SDHB-associated tumours are more likely to develop metastatic disease than patients with sporadic tumours or tumours associated with other predisposing genes. Once disease is metastatic, there are currently limited therapeutic options creating an urgent unmet clinical need.

Despite a sophisticated molecular understanding of SDHB mutation driven tumours, the field lacks validated human cell models - a fundamental barrier to translating insights into new treatments for patients with SDHB-deficient disease. 

This project will continue our drive to develop much-needed novel cell models of PPGL, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive human PPGL cell resource with a particular focus on SDHx-deficient tumours.

The post holder will use these models to investigate aspects of SDH-deficient cell metabolism that has the potential to uncover novel therapeutic targets within the metabolic network.

Role Summary

The postholder will work within a recently awarded grant from the Paradifference Foundation, a charity set up with the purpose of finding new treatments for SDHB-deficient cancers. The postholder will work alongside others in a dynamic and ambitious research group led by Professor Tennant, and in addition to their own project will have the opportunity to contribute to other research projects within the group. 

The postholder would be expected to progressively take more responsibility for the direction of their research project as they develop their specific expertise in the project area, will want to explore multiple research strands in parallel. For example, alongside deriving new models of SDB-deficient cancers from clinical material, the postholder will also investigate aspects of the metabolic dysfunction observed in these cancer to identify routes towards better treatments.

The postholder should be fluent in the subject matter relevant to the post, including techniques or methods. If they are not already proficient, the postholder will be expected to rapidly acquire the technical skills required for the post, as well as the ability to analyse data arising from these methods.

The postholder will have high levels of integrity when undertaking and reporting of research and an understanding of the importance of research reproducibility. They will be able to: 

• to incorporate new findings from their experiments, as well as those of others to ensure the direction of their research project remains state-of-the-art
• summarise their findings clearly in the context of the wider field and set this out in a manner suitable for research publications and new funding bids
• work independently, and as part of a wider research team

Main Duties

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings through multiple avenues, including publication, research seminars, posters and oral presentations at national and international conferences
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with agreement of line manager
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods, and the research of the wider research group
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures

Person Specification

• A PhD (or near completion) with relevance to metabolism or cancer, or equivalent PhD level qualifications is essential
• A first degree in a biological subject, with biochemistry-related is essential
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly 
• Fluency in relevant knowledge, models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones 
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research project as well as contributing to the research aims of others alongside themselves and the day-to-day running of the research group
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

Informal enquiries to Daniel Tennant, email: d.tennant@bham.ac.uk 

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.