Applications are invited for a fully funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in Trinity’s Viral Immunology Research Group (https://www.tcd.ie/Biochemistry/research/stevenson/), to study on the Immunology of COVID-19. The research will be carried out in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology, which is housed in the state-of-the-art Trinity Biomedical  Sciences Institute (TBSI) at Trinity College Dublin.

Our research focuses on the immune evasion mechanisms of viruses. We investigate how the innate immune system senses viruses via pathogen recognition receptors, leading to intracellular signalling and the subsequent production of inflammatory and anti-viral cytokines.
We are particularly interested in how Type 1 Interferons signal via the JAK/STAT pathway, leading to the upregulation of hundreds of anti-viral genes and the subsequent clearance of viral infection. We have a specific interest in understanding how viruses evade and block these
anti-viral and proinflammatory immune mechanisms.

This project will focus on investigating the innate immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and how the virus blocks responses to Type 1 Interferon. In particular, the project will examine the IFN responses in immune and epithelial cells, using both primary human cells from infected patients and primary immune cells and cell lines infected with replicating SARS-CoV-2.

The Stevenson lab and much of Trinity’s COVID-19 research programme is situated in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, a global centre of excellence for Immunology research (www.tcd.ie/biosciences). Within TBSI, all the necessary facilities required, including CL3 labs, are available for the project.

Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
The post holder will fulfil the defined work programme of the project. Duties will include:  proposing, planning and executing experiments, analysing and interpreting data, maintaining current knowledge of relevant literature, disseminating research findings by writing/publishing
in journals, presenting data regularly at internal meetings and national/international conferences, contributing to project by engaging with collaborators/team members and advising on experimental design, ordering consumables and maintaining a budget record, provide training and assistance to undergraduate and postgraduate students working within the group.

Funding Information
The role is funded by grants from Science Foundation Ireland.

Person Specification
Qualifications
PhD in Virology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology or a related discipline

Knowledge & Experience (Essential & Desirable)
The successful candidate must have a proven publication record. They will be highly motivated individuals, with a passion to work on an intellectually-stimulating project at the cutting edge of current knowledge of anti-viral innate immunity. They will enjoy working as part of a team, and have excellent oral and written communication skills.

Skills & Competencies
Required Experience in:
• Human blood processing (PBMCs, neutrophils and serum isolation)
• Tissues culture of cell lines
• Real-Time qRT-PCR
• Flow cytometry
• Immunoblotting
• Molecular cloning of genes into DNA constructs and sequencing analysis
• Over-expression and knock-down of genes by transfection
• Bioinformatic Analysis.
• Statistical Analysis
• Manuscript preparation/writing
• Experience working with infectious viruses and basic virology experience.

Experience in any of the following would be an advantage: Experience working with containment level 3 (CL3) pathogens, global transcriptome analysis (RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq), CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, retroviral transduction of mammalian cells, confocal microscopy, ELISA Genie multiplex analysis and Nanostring analysis.