About the RoleApplications are invited for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant to investigate mechanical sensing and phenotypic switching in vascular smooth muscle cells and the involvement in arterial disease onset and progression.

Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality worldwide, yet there is still a lack of effective treatments. Recent research increasingly emphasised that changes to mechanical sensing, signaling and memory, critically influences the disease onset and progression. The Iskratsch Group, at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London is exploiting cutting-edge mechanobiological, as well as imaging approaches with the aim to investigate the role of mechanical sensing and memory in cardiovascular disease. The postholder of this British Heart Foundation funded project will especially investigate vascular smooth muscle cell mechanosensing and phenotypic switching, following up on previous work of the Iskratsch Group and collaborators, showing a role for pressure sensing and extracellular matrix stiffness. This will involve the use of mechanical characterization, mechanical stimulation as well as various quantitative microscopy techniques. The postholder will further collaborate with project partners to establish ex-vivo artery cultures, and characterisation of mechanosensing pathways in vivo.

Iskratsch et al., Nat Rev Cell Mol Biol (2013)

Swiatlowska et al, Sci Adv (2022)

Swiatlowska et al, Adv Sci (2024)

Faleeva et al, Circ Res (2024)

Marhuenda et al, Sci Adv (2025)

About YouThe successful candidate will be highly motivated, collaborative and have expertise in bioengineering, cell and/or cardiovascular biology. Prior experience in bio- and/or nanofabrication as well as vascular smooth muscle cell isolation and culture or ex vivo artery culture is highly desirable.

About the SchoolThis post is within the School of Engineering and Materials Science, a large School with 100 academics and 60 postdoctoral research staff. There are around 1500 undergraduate and postgraduate students and 260 PhD students. These are supported by an administrative and technical staff team of 56. The staff and student body are international in make-up.

About Queen MaryAt Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

Throughout our history, we’ve fostered social justice and improved lives through academic excellence. And we continue to live and breathe this spirit today, not because it’s simply ‘the right thing to do’ but for what it helps us achieve and the intellectual brilliance it delivers.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

BenefitsWe offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities.

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability. We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly.

£44,288 per annum

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