Research Assistant

About us

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative supporting research to fill the major knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause dementia.

Research from UK DRI at UCL covers the journey from the patient to the laboratory and back to the patient with improved diagnosis, biomarkers and candidate therapies put to the test.

The Hong Laboratory, based in the UK DRI at UCL, investigates glia-immune mechanisms of synapse loss in age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. We study how the brain’s immune system (microglia and border-associated macrophages) interacts with glia (astrocytes) to influence neuronal synapses, as well as peripheral immune contributions such as gut-brain signaling. Our interdisciplinary work uses cutting-edge techniques including single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, super-resolution microscopy, in vivo tracking, mouse models, and human patient tissues and iPS-derived cells.

About the role

We are seeking a Research Assistant to join our team investigating endo-lysosomal biology in brain macrophages - microglia and brain border-associated macrophages (BAM) - in the context of aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The project will explore how endo-lysosomal alterations in these cells influence the brain microenvironment and contribute to disease susceptibility.

You will provide both technical and intellectual support, contributing to experimental design and execution. Core responsibilities include performing biochemical assays (e.g., immunoprecipitation), optical imaging (e.g., in situ hybridization, high-resolution and confocal imaging of microglia and neuro-immune interactions), in vivo procedures (e.g., intraperitoneal injections, perfusions, brain-region isolation), and in vitro cell culture studies.

The post is available from February 2026 and funded by the ERC for one year in the first instance.

About you

You’ll have an excellent undergraduate and/or Master’s degree (minimum 2:1/merit) in Immunology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, or a related discipline, with strong wet-lab experience and a solid understanding of neuroimmunology, neuroscience, and/or neurodegenerative diseases. You’ll be self-driven, highly motivated, and able to contribute both technically and conceptually to the lab’s research.

You’ll be proactive, meticulous, and able to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team, contributing ideas and supporting lab members. Experience with mouse handling and proven track record of robust data generation and collaboration is highly desirable.