FutureNeuro Translational Electrophysiology Core Manager

Post Date : 20-Aug-2024 Close Date : 10-Sep-2024

Job Title: FutureNeuro Translational Electrophysiology Core Manager

Location: 123 St. Stephen's Green, RCSI and Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital

Reporting to: Prof David Henshall

Term of office: 18 months

Salary: Scale 2B Experienced Researcher, point depending on experience

Proposed Start date: October 2024

About FutureNeuro

FutureNeuro is the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases. Our Centre uniquely focuses on making discoveries and developing technologies that can solve the urgent, unmet needs of people living with neurological disorders and the health professionals who care for them, linked to Ireland's clinical care pathways. We aim to change the patient journey through our research. This includes developing rapid and accurate tools for diagnosis, the development of therapies to correct damaged brain networks, technologies to enable self-monitoring of health and well- being, and linking this to Ireland's national imaging, diagnostics and eHealth infrastructure based in our specialist care hospitals.

As a collaborative force, spanning multiple disciplines and institutions, we partner with industry leaders, patient organisations, and clinical networks to bring about transformative changes, not only in Ireland but globally. Our research spans preclinical and clinical realms, addressing key challenges in neurological disorder diagnosis, leveraging genomics for precision therapy, advancing precision treatments, and unlocking insights from clinical datasets through rapid data science progress. Originally centred on epilepsy and ALS, our research has expanded to encompass a broader spectrum of chronic brain diseases and rare neurodegenerative conditions and other neurological, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Parkinson's, MS, autism, psychosis, and the significant comorbid aspects of these conditions.

Post Summary

FutureNeuro is looking for a Translational Electrophysiology Core Manager for the newly established medium throughput core facility for the assessment of functional alterations in single cells and brain networks at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The facility includes automated patch-clamp unit, multi electrode array (MEA), live cell high content imaging systems and an iPSC lab. The manager will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the facility, including managing bookings, invoices, providing training in the use of instruments, advising on sample preparation and ensuring the safe operation of the facility. The manager is also expected to lead their own research and support colleagues in FutureNeuro to explore cell and molecular mechanisms and treatment of epilepsy and other brain diseases. The role will be also support the human brain electrophysiology suite at the ERC building, Beaumont campus. Additional responsibilities include to drive the growth of the Facility through expansion of the commercial fee-for-service business and securing competitive external funding. The successful candidate will have extensive previous experience in patch-clamp electrophysiology and fluorescence microscopy, iPSCs and in the analysis of electrophysiology and imaging data.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Post

Objective:

Oversee all aspects of the Translational Electrophysiology Core facility, guarantee the safety and functionality of all instruments and meet health and safety requirements, and conduct original FutureNeuro-aligned research.

Job Responsibilities:

Plan, manage and support repair/service visits, equipment bookings to internal and external users for the Translational Electrophysiology Core.

Provide training and assess the competence of users and decide when they are ready to use the instrument on their own. Advise users on sample preparation and data analysis. Provide instructions on cleaning and maintenance responsibilities to users.

Manage the core facility website to provide up-to-date information to users and promote the facility and research work.

Manage the user access and instrument booking system including reporting on usage and income statistics.

Run routine maintenance inspections and decide on and executing needed maintenance, repairs and purchase. Investigate reasons for instrument breakdown to give a detailed description of the issue to the engineers. Ensure that systems are fully functional after an engineer's visit before releasing the instruments back to the users.

Keep up to date with the major hardware and software for electrophysiology and image analysis and provide high level advice and initial training to the Facility users.

Identify emerging trends and opportunities and provide recommendations to help grow the Facility and adopt new technologies. Willingness to undertake training in computer hardware and software, big data management and storage and computer interfaces for research equipment.

Deliver high quality presentations within and outside RCSI/FutureNeuro to promote the technology capabilities of the Facility and the research carried out.

Apply for research grants to support the incumbent's own research program.

Organize annual electrophysiology and microscopy courses and conduct/participate in the teaching of advanced neurophysiology lectures, practical demonstrations and workshops.

Attend national and international meetings to stay abreast of the latest technology.

Participate in outreach activities relating to the core facility.

Place orders on the RCSI purchasing system for facility related activities.

Serve as the sole liaison to outside academic and industry users of the facility. Provide electrophysiology and microscopy/imaging-based research consultancy to industrial collaborators.

Qualifications (essential)

A PhD in Life Science or Physiology and a strong record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.

5+ years of postdoctoral experience and expertise in patch-clamp electrophysiology, field potential recording from brain slices and functional fluorescence imaging from neurons.

Culture, cryopreservation, maintenance and differentiation of iPSCs, assay development and phenotypic assessment of drug candidates using iPSC- derived neuronal network.

Demonstrated experience in purchasing/procurement procedures, including the tender process.

Qualifications (preferred)

Hands on experience in the culture of human brain slices and field potential recordings from human brain slices.

Preparing standard operating procedures for laboratory work.

Hands on experience in voltage and/or ligand-gated ion channel electrophysiology and pharmacology.

Degree or Diploma in management and/or in computer applications.

Prior experience in setting up and establishing electrophysiology and imaging recording systems, including drug application units.

Demonstrated ability in preparing successful grant applications.

Application Procedure

Applicants should initially apply using the online application form before the closing date and submit a Curriculum Vitae and cover letter. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in an interview.

We welcome applications from individuals with lived experience and those from diverse backgrounds. For any additional information, please email David Henshall, [email protected]