Neurovascular Senior Research Fellow – Cell Therapy
Contract: 30-month Fixed Term | Full-time
This position is part of a Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) programme developing a dual-cell therapy (MSC + ECFC) for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), delivered alongside standard-of-care therapeutic hypothermia.
We are seeking a Senior Research Fellow to lead the analytical and mechanistic development workstream, building the assays, models, and data packages required to progress this therapy toward First-In-Human Phase 1 clinical trials.
The Opportunity
In this role, 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 the 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 a national core facility.
- Partner with cell manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical translation teams across the consortium.
This role suits a senior postdoctoral researcher / research fellow seeking to step into a translational, milestone-driven environment while maintaining 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 to elucidate the mechanism of action of MSC/ECFC co-therapy.
- 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; 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 to screen and characterise therapeutic leads.
- Analyse complex datasets from omics platforms and functional assays, presenting clear and actionable conclusions.
- Manage project timelines, risks, and deliverables according to the Can-Vas project plan.
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team (postdocs, students, research assistants), 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.
- Minimum 6 years of post-PhD research experience in a relevant area.
- Demonstrated 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 related endothelial progenitors.
- Demonstrated experience with proteomics and transcriptomics (RNA-seq) for mechanism-of-action studies.
- Experience defining and assessing CQAs (identity, purity, viability) for cell therapy products.
- Proven 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 competence working with complex biological datasets and bioinformatics tools.
- Evidence of research leadership, including:
- Strong publication record in relevant peer-reviewed journals.
- Presentations at international scientific conferences.
- Supervision of junior researchers and/or PhD students.
- Experience managing research projects to defined milestones and timelines.
- Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.
- Experience contributing to regulatory submissions and familiarity with ATMP or First-In-Human frameworks.
- Experience in a translational research environment and in multi-partner or industry–academic collaborations.
Desired (Highly Advantageous)
- Experience with iPSC culture and differentiation, particularly into endothelial or neuronal lineages.
- Prior research 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 professional development support.
- Flexible working hours within a full-time, lab-based research role.
- Opportunity to build a high-impact profile at the intersection of cell therapy, neurovascular science, and clinical translation within a leading national facility.