Apply by 30th September 2019, 4pm

MRC Board and Panel Vacancies from April 2020
https://mrc.ukri.org/about/our-structure/research-boards-panels/mrc-board-panel-vacancies/
online application form:
https://mrc.ukri.org/about/our-structure/research-boards-panels/mrc-board-panel-vacancies/apply-for-a-board-or-panel-vacancy/

MRC seeks to fill up to 28 vacancies across 4 Research Boards and 22 vacancies in 5 of their 6 Panels

Please note, Applicants must have both permission and support from their host institution before applying

Personal specification includes:
• ask that applicants have a sound knowledge of experimental design and statistical approaches to ensure the highest standards of methodological rigor
• a first class record in conducting and leading internationally respected research
• a successful track record in applying for and obtaining major grant funding over a number of years
• a proven ability to exercise judgment across a broad spectrum of research and policy issues with a vision of the priorities and opportunities, not only within his/her areas of expertise, but also across the research board or panel portfolio

Aim to:
• steadily increase the number of women (from the current 42% towards 50%)
• broaden the diversity of members
• increase the ratio of mid-career to later-career members
• ensure a strong representation for basic research and data sciences
• have industry representation.

As part of the preparation for their tenure, all new board and panel members are expected to attend an induction meeting on Thursday 6 February 2020 at BEIS Conference Centre, 1 Victoria St, Westminster, London SW1H 0ET. Please hold this date when making an application.

Research Board vacancies

Infections & immunity Board (IIB)
9 vacancies:
The board has particular interest in extending its global health activities, addressing the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, strengthening pandemic preparedness, investigating immunity and infection through the life course, and supporting integrative data analysis and systems approaches.

• Bacteriology / microbiology – with expertise in physiology, pathogenesis or virulence mechanisms.
• Cellular immunology – with expertise in T cells, dendritic cells, macrophage biology or immunotherapy.
• Computational modelling and analysis, and/or use of artificial intelligence – in systems approaches to infections and immunity and/or the development of diagnostics or advanced therapeutics
• Global health – with special interest in vector borne disease, parasitology or tropical infections and experience of working in a Low and Middle-Income Country
• Immune homeostasis – with expertise in one or more of the following areas: regulatory immune mechanisms, microbiome-immune interactions, immune- mediated inflammatory diseases.
• Virology and viral diseases – with a focus on physiology, pathogenesis or virus-host interactions.
• Vaccinology – with expertise in adjuvants, and/or vaccine development.

MRC are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, global health, experimental medicine, data science, drug discovery, clinical trials or translational research of relevance to the Board’s activities. They strongly welcome applications from candidates from the clinical and the industrial sector.

Molecular & Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB)
6 vacancies:
The board has particular interest in understanding dynamic biological systems across scales, the link between external exposures and causal pathways of disease, and radiation oncology and biology

Applications are invited from clinical and non-clinical scientists.

• Mammalian developmental genetics – core expertise in the use of mammalian model systems to explore the genetics and biology of development, ideally including embryology. Broader expertise in transgenics, gene function/regulation, cell biology and signaling, and non-mammalian model systems would be desirable.
• Genomic instability and repair – with core expertise in genome stability, DNA repair and DNA damage signaling. Broad knowledge relevant to cell biology including biology of the nucleus would be desirable.
• Structural biology – core expertise in a broad range of biophysical methods and integrated structural studies approaches; expertise in NMR would be desirable. The appointee should have a track record in structure-function studies. Knowledge of signal transduction, cell biology and structure-based drug discovery would be desirable.
• Industry representative – currently employed within, or strong experience of, the biomedical research industry sector. Knowledge in areas including cell signaling, functional genomics, stratified medicine, target validation/drug development or advanced therapies would be desirable
• Up to two vacancies covering:
o Medical oncology (with preference for clinically qualified/active biomedical researchers)
o Cancer genetics – with broad expertise in the molecular biology of cancer, particularly in areas of cancer cell adhesion/migration, cell cycle control, mechanisms of invasion/metastasis, cellular signaling, and cancer gene predisposition/function/regulation. Experience of experimental medicine, translational cancer studies and an awareness of cancer in a global health context would be desirable.

MRC are particularly interested to receive applications from those with expertise in the use of quantitative analytical tools, and/or multi-dimensional data and systems approaches applied to resolving complex biological problems across scale, space and time.

Neurosciences & Mental Health Board (NMHB)
6 vacancies:
The board has a particular interest in addressing the challenges of mental illness and neurodegenerative diseases as well as exploring what we can learn from the direct study of human brain tissue to gain insight into the function of the human brain.

Applications are invited from clinical and non-clinical scientists.

• Cellular and molecular neurobiology – with expertise in neurodegeneration, synaptic plasticity or behavioural neuroscience.
• Neurodegeneration – with expertise in neuroinflammation and/or translational research.
• Mental health – with expertise in one or more of the areas of : genetics, genomics, clinical psychiatry, experimental medicine and translational approaches.
• Neuro-repair/regeneration – with expertise in clinical neurology.
• Addiction – with expertise in clinical neurology, clinical psychiatry, drug metabolism.

MRC are particularly interested to hear from applicants who have expertise in clinical genetics, modelling approaches, and translational neuroscience. Knowledge of a range of neuroimaging and non-invasive biophysical techniques will be an advantage.

Population & Systems Medicine Board (PSMB)
7 vacancies:
The board has particular interest in understanding multimorbidity and disease clustering, mechanisms of rare diseases to provide insight into more common conditions, and integrated population health with a special emphasis on data integration.

• Clinical cardiology and cardiovascular medicine – with expertise in genetics of cardiovascular disease. Knowledge of imaging techniques, including clinical imaging, would be desirable.
• Musculoskeletal research (two vacancies) – with expertise in muscle, bone and/or cartilage physiology and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Broad interest in and knowledge of ageing research (beyond musculoskeletal ageing), resilience and frailty would be desirable.
• Renal medicine – with expertise in mechanisms of disease.
• Inflammation – with expertise in resolution of inflammation and cellular mechanisms of inflammatory disease.
• Epidemiology and population health sciences – with expertise and/or keen interest in enhancing classical epidemiological methods with new approaches to complex/distributed data collection and analysis. A strong background in experimental design would be advantageous.
• Functional genomics – with expertise in large scale genomics and epigenomics. Knowledge of functional metagenomics linked to the role of the human microbiome in chronic conditions (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, liver disease and female reproductive system disorders) would be desirable.

MRC are particularly interested to hear from applicants who take multi-modal approaches and integrate and interrogate complex multidimensional data e.g. combining population genomics with cell biology and capitalising on the rich molecular and phenotypic data sets from human and experimental systems. Applicants with expertise in machine learning and computational models that can be evaluated experimentally are strongly encouraged to apply.

Funding Panel vacancies

Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme Panel (DPFS)
8 vacancies:

• Diagnostic development and implementation
• Medicinal chemistry
• Cardiovascular medicine
• Oncology
• Advanced therapies, including antibodies, peptides and cell & gene therapies
• Molecular pharmacology, including pre-clinical toxicology
• Statistics, including early phase clinical trial and pre-clinical
• Infectious diseases and global health

Applications from clinically active researchers, researchers based in industry and those with knowledge of the relevant investment landscape would be particularly welcomed. Given the breadth of applications received by the scheme, panel members are required to cover a broad portfolio and individual applicants would ideally be able to cover multiple areas.

MRC-NIHR Methodology Research Programme Panel (MRP)
5 vacancies:

MRC seeks applications from experienced researchers with a broad scientific, and a very strong methodological background. To ensure regional and sectoral representation, researchers based outside of London or from industry are particularly encouraged.

• Clinical Informatics; health systems, services and delivery; computer- or data-science skills for health
• Causal modelling and inference; observational studies; triangulation
• Biostatistics; genetic epidemiology; computational statistics; meta-analytical models
• Co-membership with PSMB (see Board vacancies)
• Co-membership with MCMB (see Board vacancies).

Co-membership ensures that advances and challenges from research methodology are embedded across MRC funding decisions and strategy. Where appropriate, applicants applying to the vacancies within other Boards and Panels should indicate their availability for dual membership with MRP.

Training and Career Development Panels

Non-Clinical Training and Career Development Panel
Up to 5 vacancies.

Panel members contribute to assessments and interviews across the full range of MRC’s work, and this year they would particularly welcome applications from researchers who would bring core expertise in:

• Cell biology and cancer/ cell and structural biology
• Population scale biomedical research / genetic epidemiology
• Public health and prevention
• Imaging / microscopy technology or applications

Candidates with clinical expertise would be particularly welcome.

Clinical Training and Career Development Panel
Up to 4 vacancies.

Panel members contribute to assessments and interviews across the full range of MRC’s work, and this year MRC would particularly welcome applications from researchers who would bring core expertise in:

• Endocrinology and metabolic medicine
• Stem cell biology
• Oncology
• Data science and artificial intelligence

Newcastle University in collaboration with partners Pennine MSK Partnership (PMSKP) and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, is delighted to announce that RightPath: A model of paediatric musculoskeletal triage in the community has been shortlisted for the Community or Primary Care Service Redesign Initiative – North/Midlands/East at this year’s HSJ Awards, recognising their outstanding contribution to healthcare.
The judging panel, made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, have shortlisted the RightPath Team from Newcastle University, PMSKP and South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, despite the tough competition from hundreds of excellent applicants. The RightPath Team have been selected based on their ambition, visionary spirit and the demonstrable positive impact that their project has had on patient and staff experiences within the health care sector.
Musculoskeletal presentations to primary care amongst children & young people are common. In most cases the underlying cause is not serious; explanation, advice and reassurance will often suffice and referral to specialist hospital-based care is not necessary. However, serious illness may be the underlying cause and it is important that those with potentially serious illness are identified and referred on quickly. The aim of RightPath is to provide rapid triage and facilitate referral to the ‘right care for the right child in the right place’.
RightPath is a model of care where children and young people with musculoskeletal complaints can be assessed in the community using triage guidance and expertise of paediatric physiotherapists. Those with potential serious illness are identified and referred promptly to hospital-based specialist care (orthopaedics or rheumatology or neurology or general paediatrics) pending the suspected diagnosis. Those deemed to have a non-serious disease are managed in the community by physiotherapists and/or podiatrists. The RightPath study has been piloted in two separate sites in England, UK – Pennine MSK Partnership, Oldham and South Tyneside. The pilot was completed in 2018 and essentially demonstrated that the model of care is feasible, safe and acceptable to families and clinicians involved (publication in progress following peer review). Recently the team have developed the RightPath website www.rightpath.solutions to support other organisations to implement the model. The RightPath team and the triage guidance has also informed recent NICE clinical advice for primary care to support cks.nice.org.uk.
Professor Helen Foster, Professor of Paediatric Rheumatology at Newcastle University and Project Lead for RightPath comments, “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the HSJ Community or Primary Care Service Redesign award, recognising the collaborative efforts and dedication of our team members over the last 2 years to successfully implement RightPath. We are committed to delivering improved outcomes for patients, and to be
chosen among the other incredible nominees is a wonderful achievement. This nomination has been a tremendous boost to staff at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, Pennine MSK Partnership and here at Newcastle University and I am sure it will bolster our continued efforts to improve services for families and children.
HSJ editor Alistair Mclellan, comments “We would like to congratulate South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and their collaborators on being nominated in the category of Community or Primary Care Service Redesign – North/Midlands/East ahead of this year’s 2019 HSJ awards. We are looking forward to welcoming them to the ceremony in November, to join us in recognising the very best achievements and innovations in the healthcare sector. The entrants this year have been of incredible calibre, and each of the finalists in this category have been chosen based on their outstanding commitment to excellence in healthcare.”
The full list of nominees for the 2019 HSJ awards (partnered by GRI) can be found on https://awards.hsj.co.uk/2019-shortlist. Winners will be selected ahead of the 2019 HSJ awards ceremony, which is due to be held at the Battersea Evolution Centre, London on November 6th.

This is to be a high profile event for the Faculty and an opportunity for us all to congratulate Doug, Martin and Mary on their fellowships as well as encouraging Laura onto her own successes at the start of her academic career.

register via the link below.

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?e=&u=d086bca05c463e232ca6fb8b2&id=77a35a3c3b