Neurovascular Senior Research Fellow – Cell Therapy
Contract: 30-month Fixed Term | Full-time
A Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) program developing a dual-cell therapy (MSC + ECFC) for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), alongside standard-of-care therapeutic hypothermia.
We are hiring a Senior Research Fellow to lead the analytical and mechanistic development workstream – building the assays, models and data packages that move this therapy toward First-In-Human Phase 1 trials.
The Opportunity
You will:
- Lead analytical development for a novel dual-cell therapy targeting neonatal hypoxia-associated brain injury.
- Design and refine in vitro hypoxia and neurovascular models relevant to neonatal brain injury.
- Own CQA, potency and release assay strategy for MSC and ECFC products.
- Drive proteomic, transcriptomic (RNA-seq) and multi-omics studies to define mechanism of action and biomarkers.
- Work within a state-of-the-art ATMP/biologics environment at s national core facility.
- Partner with cell manufacturing, regulatory and clinical translation teams across the consortium.
This role suits a senior postdoc / research fellow who wants to step into a translational, milestone-driven environment while keeping strong scientific depth.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, establish and optimise in vitro hypoxia models for neonatal brain injury.
- Validate models for reproducibility and translational relevance.
- Plan and perform proteomic and RNA-seq studies for MSC/ECFC co-therapy mechanism of action.
- Integrate multi-omics datasets to define therapeutic pathways and biomarkers.
- Define and characterise Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) for MSCs and ECFCs (identity, purity, viability, immunophenotype).
- Develop, qualify and implement CQA and potency assays, and build a potency matrix aligned with therapeutic function.
- Develop release assays to support product consistency and regulatory expectations for ATMPs.
- Collaborate with consortium partners to integrate assays into GMP and downstream activities.
- Design and run cell-based functional assays for screening therapeutic leads.
- Analyse complex datasets from omics platforms and functional assays, and present clear conclusions.
- Manage project timelines and deliverables in line with the Can-Vas project plan.
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team (postdocs, students, RAs), fostering collaboration and high standards.
- Contribute to manuscripts, grant reports and regulatory submission content.
- Present findings at consortium meetings, conferences and stakeholder briefings.
Essential Criteria
- PhD in neuroscience, cell therapy, regenerative medicine or a closely related field.
- At least 6 years’ post-PhD experience in a relevant research area.
- Proven experience developing and validating in vitro and/or in vivo models of hypoxia or neurovascular injury.
- Strong hands-on expertise with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) or closely related endothelial progenitors.
- Demonstrated experience in proteomics and transcriptomics (RNA-seq) for mechanism-of-action studies.
- Experience defining and assessing CQAs (identity, purity, viability) for cell products.
- Track record in developing potency assays and release criteria for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
- Hands-on work with neuronal or neurovascular models, including vascular–neural interactions.
- Strong analytical skills and confidence working with complex biological datasets and bioinformatics tools.
- Evidence of research leadership:
- Strong publication record in relevant journals.
- Presentations at international conferences.
- Supervision of junior researchers and/or PhD students.
- Experience managing research projects to defined milestones and timelines.
- Strong scientific writing and presentation skills.
- Experience contributing to regulatory submissions and familiarity with ATMP or First-In-Human frameworks.
- Experience in a translational research environment and multi-partner or industry-academic collaborations.
Desired (Highly Advantageous)
- iPSC culture and differentiation experience, especially into endothelial or neuronal lineages.
- Prior work in neonatal brain injury, HIE, stroke or related neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Exposure to GMP-aligned or regulated cell therapy environments.
- Experience with Irish / EU funding frameworks (DTIF, SFI, HRB, Horizon Europe).
What’s on Offer
- Competitive salary.
- Pension, private health insurance and income protection.
- 25 days’ annual leave plus up to 3 company days.
- Strong training and career development support.
- Flexible working hours within a full-time, lab-based research role.
- Opportunity to build a profile at the interface of cell therapy, neurovascular science and clinical translation within a national flagship facility.
How to Apply
If this sounds like the next step in your research career and you want your work to move closer to patients:
Contact me directly on [email protected] or call 061 221 714 in strictest confidence
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