Research Fellow - Immunology and Immunotherapy

Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £37,369 to £46,970, with potential progression once in post to £49,798

Grade 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to December 2030

Closing date: 22nd November 2026

Background

A post-doctoral research fellow position is available in the Fungal Immunology Group within the Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical & Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, led by Prof Rebecca Drummond. This role is to create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed scientist to join our project team, which is aiming to better understand organ-specific immune responses against fungal pathogens. The successful candidate will make extensive use of a range of in vivo models of fungal infection and will have access to the wide range of transgenic tools and in vivo immunology techniques established in the Drummond lab. The candidate's research will focus on characterising immune cells, especially tissue-resident subsets, and how these interact during fungal infection within the central nervous system. This is an exciting opportunity to investigate regulation of antifungal immunity in vivo. As an example of the work the team has previously published, please see Mohamed et al, Nature Communications 2023 and Hain et al, Nature Communications 2025. The position would ideally suit someone with an immunology background with a strong interest in fungal pathogens.

The candidate will be based in Drummond lab, which is part of a larger international consortium, funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The candidate will join meetings and meet other team members based in Denmark and Uganda. All groups will work closely together during the project. There will be opportunity for additional training for the successful applicant with our collaborators to develop a wide range of technical expertise in immunology, neuroscience and microbiology.

Funding for the position is available for 3 years, with possibility of extension. The lab is located within the Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, where a collaborative environment exists, rich in immunologists with a range of complimentary research interests. We also closely work with our colleagues in the Institute of Microbiology & Infection who specialise in fungal biology and drug resistance.

The candidate should demonstrate a good understanding of immunology and medical microbiology and have excellent written and oral communication skills. They will be expected to help develop new techniques within the laboratory, help supervise project/undergraduate students, and present their data regularly at internal lab meetings and external conferences.

All applicants should be ideally proficient with in vivo immunology, flow cytometry, basic tissue culture and molecular biology techniques. Prior experience with microscopy (particularly confocal) and human cell culture would be advantageous. Applicants should be able to demonstrate prior research success; for example, through publications/pre-prints, presentations at conferences and relevant academic prizes/travel awards.

The responsibilities may include some, but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews *
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters *
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research *
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines*
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

CMH ONLY - Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Lisa Powell (CMH - Administration), email: l.h.powell@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.