Full time, fixed term for 12 months with the possibility for extension (up to 2 years) Exciting opportunity to be a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Immunology and Urinary Tract Disease within the School of Medical Sciences Based At The Charles Perkins Centre, Camperdown Campus Base Salary starting from $117,936 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Medical Sciences is recognised as one of the leading centres for medical science in the world. With over 100 years of excellence in education, we are proud to be training the next generation of medical scientists who will be leading members of the medical research community with an innovative integrated curriculum. Our team of researchers lead key internationally competitive research from molecules to medicines, from patient to policy across a range of therapeutic areas. The Urinary Tract Disease Research Group within the School of Medical Sciences is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join our growing research program investigating chronic and severe urinary tract diseases. Led by Dr Malcolm Starkey, the team combines immunology, microbiology, preclinical disease modelling and translational research approaches to better understand the mechanisms underlying urinary tract diseases to inform future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in immunology and host-pathogen interactions, and an interest in applying multi-omics approaches to better understand the biological pathways driving urinary tract disease. The successful candidate will contribute to a collaborative research program integrating preclinical models, human biospecimens and translational research approaches.



The position provides opportunities to work with unique disease models and multidisciplinary collaborators spanning basic, translational and clinical research. This role offers an outstanding opportunity to develop scientific independence, build an international research profile, establish collaborative networks and contribute to a growing research program in urinary tract disease.

Current research themes include

- host mechanisms regulating urinary tract health and disease
- biomarker discovery for urinary tract infection and cystinuria
- preclinical testing of novel therapeutic approaches

Key responsibilities

- design, conduct and lead laboratory-based research projects investigating urinary tract disease
- employ and further develop advanced experimental techniques including immunology, molecular biology, biomarker discovery and preclinical disease models
- analyse and interpret complex experimental datasets and contribute to high-quality research outputs and publications
- assist with the supervision and mentoring of honours, PhD and research students
- contribute to grant applications, ethics submissions and research reporting
- establish and maintain productive collaborations with academic, clinical and industry stakeholders
- present research findings at local seminars, national conferences and international scientific meetings




- undertake administrative activities and contribute to school and faculty initiatives as appropriate
- foster a positive and inclusive research culture that values collaboration, innovation and excellence
- support and contribute to the strategic priorities of the school, faculty and university
- undertake other duties and projects appropriate to the classification of the role

Essential criteria

- PhD in immunology or a closely related biomedical discipline (e.g. microbiology, molecular biology, biomedical science, medical science)
- extensive hands‑on experience with mouse models of disease, including experimental design, complex animal procedures, disease phenotyping, tissue collection and downstream analyses
- demonstrated expertise in immunology, host‑pathogen interactions, inflammation, infectious disease biology
- demonstrated experience conducting independent biomedical research to completion
- strong publication record relative to career stage
- demonstrated experience with extensive laboratory techniques relevant to molecular, cellular and translational biomedical research
- robust analytical, organisational, time and problem‑solving skills
- exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including scientific writing and presentation experience
- demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and within a multidisciplinary research team

Desirable criteria

- highly developed bioinformatics expertise in one or more of the following areas: single‑cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‑seq), spatial transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics
- experience establishing, maintaining and interrogating organoid systems or advanced

📌 Postdoctoral Research Associate (Sydney)
🏢 University Of Sydney
📍 Sydney