Postdoctoral Clinical Fellow in Molecular Nutrition and Immunometabolism

Job Description

The incidence of autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis is rising globally. There are no curative options for these diseases, which represent an increasing healthcare burden with significant unmet clinical need. Our research is beginning to define the key cellular pathways responsible for conditions such as Crohn’s disease, which we hope will lead to new and more effective treatments. One particular success has been our discovery of a novel enzyme – genetically linked to inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile arthritis, and infection – that lies at the interface of metabolism, redox and immunity.

Our research has highlighted the importance of immune cell metabolism in sustaining a full response to infection, whilst preventing inappropriate immune activation and damage to our own body. We study how our body stores and utilises energy to fuel immunity, and how this is further shaped by the myriad of dietary components and microbial metabolites we are constantly exposed to. We want to know how and why this goes wrong and what problems this causes. We combine state-of-the-art experimental techniques across imaging, mass spectrometry, and genetics to investigate the complex interplay between diet, metabolism, and immunity.

As a gastroenterologist, my group also maintains close links to the clinic. We have access to a large cohort of IBD patients, but are also well connected to other disease cohorts such as primary immunodeficiency and primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Requirements

We welcome applications from clinicians from any specialty with relevant expertise to join our interdisciplinary research team. Our lab would particularly suit someone with research interests in either immunology or metabolism, who would be interested to learn techniques in immune cell culture and phenotyping, advanced metabolomics and microscopy. Successful candidates will be supported to apply for future clinician scientist fellowship applications.

About the Lab

Group Leader: Zaeem Cader. [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] is a unique partnership between UKRI Medical Research Council, UCL, Imperial College London, King's College London, Wellcome, and Cancer Research UK.