From £47,080 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.
Senior Laboratory Research Scientist
Vikram Chandra [C]
13/Oct/2026 23.59 GMT
Job Title: Senior Laboratory Research Scientist - transgenics engineering and animal care
Reporting to: Vikram Chandra, Group leader
Working pattern: This is a full-time, permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employment
Salary: From £47,080 with benefits, subject to skills and experience
Application closing date: 13th of of October 2026 at 23:59
The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.
The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.
The Chandra lab studies the evolution of brains and behaviour, using acoels as a model to ask how diffuse nerve nets transitioned into centralised brains and to understand its consequences.
The lab has developed the acoel Hofstenia miamia as a new neuroscience model. Hofstenia has a unique 'diffuse brain' composed of undifferentiated tiles of circuits that interact to generate distributed computation. By studying Hofstenia in a comparative context, the lab aims to uncover the organising principles of diffuse brains and understand how the first animal brains evolved from ancient nerve nets. Research combines a range of approaches to investigate neural architecture, circuit activity, computational function and behavioural control.
Find more about the Chandra lab here
We are seeking an innovative and highly motivated Senior Laboratory Research Scientist to join the Chandra Lab and play a leading role in advancing our research into brain evolution and function.
This position will involve leading a project focused on engineering transgenic lines in Hofstenia and potentially other acoel species, helping to establish and expand a cutting-edge experimental platform for investigating nervous system organisation, regeneration, and behaviour. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute directly to pioneering discoveries in an emerging neuroscience model and shape the direction of a growing research programme.
In addition to driving transgenics based research, the postholder will be responsible for animal care and the maintenance of healthy acoel cultures, as well as supporting the day to day operation of the laboratory to ensure the smooth delivery of research activities. This is a varied and hands on role that combines scientific leadership, technical expertise, and laboratory management within a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.
The role offers an excellent opportunity for an ambitious scientist to develop new methodologies, contribute to high impact research, and help build novel experimental resources that will advance our understanding of how brains evolve.
You will have both transgenics research and lab management tasks including:
Please click here for full job description
You will have:
Minimum criteria*
Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture.
At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we'll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk
Find out more about life at the Crick.
What will you receive?
At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:
Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed.
We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.
The Crick is a distinctive biomedical research institute. We’re committed to advancing, promoting, and sharing understanding of human health and disease. We do that by attracting talented and ambitious people from all disciplines and backgrounds and giving them the support and freedom they need to succeed.
Inside the Crick, you’ll discover scientists working to stretch the very limits of what we know about how life works. Their research holds the key to answering fundamental questions about human health and disease. Our bold and innovative research projects bring together scientists and technicians from all disciplines in the pursuit of discovery without boundaries.
With the support of our partners, we’re bridging the gap between discovery and application to help change lives for the better. And through our dynamic structure, we’re able to develop the science leaders of tomorrow.
That’s our bold idea, tell us yours.
Cover image taken at the Crick by Thomas Angus, Imperial College London.
