Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum

• School/Department: School of Regeneration and Repair / Centre for Inflammation Research
• Full Time: 35 hours per week
• Fixed term: 12-month contract 

The Opportunity:

Where discovery never stops. Be part of something bigger.

Make a meaningful impact 

Here, you can continue to make a difference in everything around you. Take on new challenges, grow your career, be recognised for your contributions, and benefit from our commitment to your wellbeing. Be part of something bigger — where your work has real impact and your development matters. There are so many reasons to take your next step with us. 

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students’ performance and wellbeing.

We are looking for an inventive and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to work within the lab of Professor Will Wood at the University of Edinburgh. This represents a unique opportunity to be part of a multi-disciplinary team undertaking research in inflammation and innate immunity, utilising a powerful live imaging approach to understanding how efferocytosis regulates the fate and function of macrophages during health and disease. The post-holder will undertake research using Drosophila, but will interface with mammalian-focused PDRAs within the wider Cell Death group to enable rapid identification of the key, evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of efferocytosis and its consequences.

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• Experience with Drosophila or C.elegans 
• Experience with confocal live imaging of efferocytosis in vivo using either of the models above 
• Self-motivated, professional, highly organized, and goal-oriented.
• Excellent ability to work within a bigger team and exceptional communication skills.
• Knowledge/interest in mammalian models or a motivation to learn. 

Please address informal enquiries to Professor Will Wood (w.wood@ed.ac.uk).

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle: 

• Professional development and subject matter expertise 
• Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your experience 
• Leading-edge research 
• Opportunities for publication 

This post is full-time (35 hours per week)

View the full job description(opens in a new browser tab) 

How to apply

As part of this application, you are required to upload a cover letter/statement of not more than one page detailing how you meet each of the essential criteria as outlined on the job description and a CV. These items should be uploaded as one single combined document in either PDF or Word format.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect: 

• A competitive salary. 
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant. 

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 28 October 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. 

We anticipate that interviews will be held within 2-3 weeks of the advert closing date.