Position Number: 0064030
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; 3-year Fixed-term contract (Feb 2025 – Jan 2028)
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Department/School: Department of Anatomy and Physiology
Salary: Level A – $83,468 - $113,262 p.a. plus 17% super

• Support research into novel stem cell therapies for paediatric gut disorders, involving pluripotent stem cell culture, transplants into pre-clinical animal models, and various research techniques to drive clinical applications.
• Join a young, tight-knit team and work hands-on with innovative stem cell techniques, small animal models, and exciting research. You'll have opportunities for growth, collaboration, and attending conferences locally and internationally.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity for a driven Postdoctoral Researcher to join our expanding research team, working on innovative stem cell therapies for paediatric gut disorders. This research is funded through a recent Australian Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant. This position is part of a collaborative laboratory, and will use a range of research techniques, and present future opportunities for leadership and mentoring junior researchers. This role offers significant growth potential and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the field while attending conferences and collaborating internationally.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting research individually and as part of a team, including handling and culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), combining cells with novel hydrogel matrices, and monitoring their growth and development.
• Performing and analysing in vivo experiments, including surgical procedures for stem cell transplants, gut motility assays, as well as ex vivo tissue collection.
• Maintaining accurate experimental records for publication.
• Contributing to lab meetings and assisting with project design and management, manuscript preparation, and research administration.
• Ensuring compliance with research protocols, OH&S standards, and University policies, promoting a collaborative and inclusive work environment.

Who We Are Looking For
We’re looking for candidates who demonstrate leadership potential and a collaborative spirit, motivated by the opportunity to contribute to impactful research in biological and biomedical sciences. Your background should include experience in pluripotent stem cell culture and small animal handling, with aspirations to grow this research program and supervise students and staff in the future.

You will also have:

• A PhD in biological or biomedical science, as outlined in the position description.
• Experience working with human stem cell cultures and sterile cell culture techniques.
• High-level animal handling skills with laboratory mice and/or rats.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with strong organisational and time management abilities.
• Flexibility, the capacity to develop new skills, and the ability to work independently while engaging in team-related activities, including supervising students and other lab members.
• Experience with next generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis tools is also desirable.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Your New Team – Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences
The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, a cornerstone of excellence, boasts an impressive research legacy and holds the prestigious position of the University of Melbourne's largest faculty. With an astounding research revenue of over $420 million in 2021, we are at the forefront of health research in Australia. Our commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship is underlined by $85 million in commercialisation and government income, along with notable investments in intellectual property assets.  

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn.

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents:  

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

Please ensure that you apply through the Apply Now button at the bottom of this advertisement. However, if you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Nick Petersen via email at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au, ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.