Join the Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology

The Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology (MDCB) is always open for inquiries from talented new group leaders wishing to start an independent career. 

Our Division investigates molecular mechanisms that underpin cell and tissue biology in development and disease. This includes gene regulation, epigenetics, cell division, membrane biology and tissue morphogenesis. We work collaboratively and support our research through establishment of shared facilities including in proteomics, microscopy, cryo-EM, computational biology data, cell sorting and most recently human pluripotent cell culture.

We are particularly seeking groups using human cell and tissue/organoid models to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying fundamental and disease biology. We will also recruit groups that complement existing expertise in:​ membrane & structural biology​, gene regulation and epigenetics​, epithelial biology and cell division, tissue morphogenesis​ and ageing​.

Successful candidates will be joining the Division at an exciting time of expansion providing the opportunity to contribute to our future direction. Career development PIs enter a Tenure Track Programme, including a defined mentoring scheme, leading to tenure assessment at 5-6 years. 

The Division is located within the School of Life Sciences comprised of around 70 research groups and nearly 800 staff and doctoral students from over 50 countries worldwide. Our research income is around £45M per annum. The school’s research is rated highly for the quality and impact (top ranked university for Biological Sciences in the UK).

Applicants may wish to include the following information for their inquiries:

• 1-page cover letter outlining how your research synergises with and/or extends our existing strengths as well as outlining the skills, attributes and expertise you would bring more broadly to the School (e.g. in teaching, research culture, commercialisation, translation, training etc).
• CV
• 4-page research proposal indicating broad research area/theme

We welcome informal enquires and these can be directed to members of the MCDB management team:

• Liz Miller (recruitment and strategy)
• Tom Owen-Hughes
• Jens Januschke
• or Tomo Tanaka

The Division is proud of its positive research culture which provides an environment supporting all to flourish. We are strong supporters of Open Research as signatories of DORA and are ranked 2nd in the World for our Open Access research (CWTS Leiden Ranking 2023). We are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse environment. We particularly encourage applications from those that are currently underrepresented in research, including black and minority ethnic (BME) and those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.