Job summary
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Healthcare Research Scientist to join the R&D Lab in Immunology. The post is founded by Synnovis Innovation Fund for a year in the first instance, to support the delivery of a progressive award "monitoring Immune Function in Patients with Treatment Resistance Schizophrenia receiving clozapine".
The post holder would work across Immunology and Psychiatry and would play a central role in translating research methods into diagnostic assays. Having experience of flow cytometry and ELISA is highly desirable. No state registration is required. The post holder will be responsible for the day to day running of the project working with Dr Dongmin Shao and Dr Mohammad Ibrahim in Clinical Immunology, collaboration of Prof. James MacCabe in Psychiatry.
R&D Lab is a unique partnership between King's College Hospital and Synnovis with critical importance for developing and transforming the speciality. It provides innovative capabilities to, but independent from, routine operations.
The post holder will also be expected to manage associated clinical data, analyse results, write validation and standard operation procedures, contribute to the formulation and submission of research reports, publications, and research proposals, and help manage and direct this complex and challenging project as opportunities allow.
Subject to contract and competence assessment the post holder may perform analytical duties either working alone or as part of a small team.
Main duties of the job
The role will focus on the development of a new flow cytometry and ELISA tests in Clinical Immunology. The patients and health controls will be recruited by Psychiatry and King's College London Research Volunteer Recruitment Circular and therefore the post holder will work across these departments. Candidates should have good oral and written English skills. The role will include understanding the diagnostic workflow of the laboratories so that the test developed will be quickly adapted in clinic.
Candidates will need to:
- Manage research samples and associated test data
- Use the laboratory informatics system (LIMS) to look up information
- Process blood samples using appropriate PPE and analyse the data
- Develop a flow cytometry method and analyse multiple samples
- Develop a ELISA method and analyse multiple samples
- Analyse data and modify procedures based on the results
- Present data in review meetings with collaborators
- Undertake statistical evaluation of the data
- Write validation documentation and standard operating procedures
- Candidates will need to read and understand the relevant peer reviewed journals that underpin the assay and why the test is being developed
- Demonstrate time management and be able to work independently and with collaborators
About us
Your development and learning
You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.
Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings
Job description
Job responsibilities
At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London from 1 April 2024, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. The job you are applying for will be based at Kings College Hospital and Blackfriars Hub.
Technical
- To safely handle, use or dispose of blood, urine, other body tissue, hazardous and or radioactive chemicals.
- To perform manual, and semi-automated laboratory investigations in the R&D laboratory.
- To undertake preventative maintenance on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for investigations.
- To carry out first line equipment and method troubleshooting, advise line manager of situations requiring further action.
- To prepare store and use reagents required for laboratory investigations.
- To measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
- To undertake technical validation of the results from laboratory investigations to ensure accuracy and precision as specified by laboratory protocols and quality procedures.
- To undertake preliminary fault finding and corrective action when the quality control procedures indicate loss of performance.
- To report to the Section manager any instance or event which may cause a delay to laboratory investigations.
Scientific
- To undertake method and laboratory instrument evaluation as directed by the Section Manager/Clinical Research Lead.
- To participate in research and development as directed by the Section Manager/Clinical Director.
- To keep up to date with current scientific and technical developments including through participation in scientific meetings if appropriate.
Clinical
- To interpret first line laboratory results and take appropriate actions in line with laboratory policies and procedures. e.g. validation of results, ordering relevant follow-up laboratory procedures, adding technical and approved pre-defined clinically relevant comments, referring results for clinical interpretation or opinion, informing the requestor of clinically significant result.
- Provide approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, and to refer on to appropriate specialists requests for information outside of their area of responsibility.
Quality Assurance
- Maintain the quality assurance procedures of the department. Measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
- To carry out audits to highlight deficiencies in the pre-examination, examination and post-examination processes, as required by the Section Manager / Quality Manager.
- To meet the target turnaround times of laboratory investigations and act on information to improve the service provided. To communicate effectively if TAT will be breached.
- To participate in audits of the Quality Management System (QMS).
- Keep up to date with all tasks required on the QMS system (Q-Pulse).
- To adopt a culture of continuous improvement.
- To highlight any aspects of the service for which there are concerns about quality.
- To make suggestions for improvement.
Risk Management/Health and Safety
- Work within the Departmental Health and Safety Code of practice. Awareness of hazards inherent in the laboratory and use of adequate precautions at all times, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided by the employer.
- To report any adverse incidents as set out in Synnoviss Adverse Incident Policy.
- Maintain laboratory equipment in a safe clean working condition. Perform equipment maintenance schedules as outlined in relevant SOPs. Decontaminate equipment prior to servicing by an engineer issue permit to work certificates. As per the rota log waterbath temperatures daily and fume cupboards weekly.
- To participate in the review of policies and procedures, COSHH and workplace risk assessments.
Continuing Professional Development
- Develop knowledge of the significance of medical laboratory work in order to offer the best possible service to the user.
- Understand your own role and be aware of the management structure of the department.
- Contribute to service initiatives within the laboratory setting.
Laboratory Informatics
- To raise / report any technical issues with data flow with the Section Manager and the Applications Management Systems Team on Service Now.
- Information Governance: To comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- To use the Laboratory Information System (EPIC / Beaker) according to the authorised protocols.
- To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.
Staff Training
- To support and participate in staff training and development.
- To participate in the supervision of the work and performance monitoring of trainee Biomedical Scientists, Medical Laboratory Assistants and students, in the procedures for which the post holder is responsible.
Administrative
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of United Kingdom Accreditation Service [UKAS ISO15189 (2012)].
- To ensure that results are reported within the agreed turnaround time, and to take appropriate action, for example communicating appropriately with colleagues and managers, should there be impediments to this.
- To accurately and diligently adhere to the stock management policy.
- To ensure departmental resources are used efficiently with minimum wastage.
General
- To comply with the policies and procedures of Synnovis and Kings College Hospital NHS Trust.
- To keep the workplace and workbenches clean and tidy.
- To maintain good work relations with all members of staff, and to promote effective teamwork.
- To treat everyone with courtesy and respect.
- To observe national and local guidance on patient and commercial confidentiality.
- To ensure compliance with all local and national standards of work practice e.g. UKAS.
- To maintain and promote the professional image of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Synnovis.
Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland,and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.
The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UKs leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. Kings has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career.
Over the last 170 years, Kings has delivered nothing but world class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.
Job description
Job responsibilities
At Synnovis, we are currently shaping the future of pathology services by creating a world-leading Hub and Spoke pathology network with our NHS partners. A large part of this modernisation will involve moving 70% of our services to a purpose built, state of the art Hub laboratory in the heart of London from 1 April 2024, with some work remaining in refurbished essential services laboratories across our hospital network, focusing on the rapid turnover of urgent tests. The job you are applying for will be based at Kings College Hospital and Blackfriars Hub.
Technical
- To safely handle, use or dispose of blood, urine, other body tissue, hazardous and or radioactive chemicals.
- To perform manual, and semi-automated laboratory investigations in the R&D laboratory.
- To undertake preventative maintenance on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for investigations.
- To carry out first line equipment and method troubleshooting, advise line manager of situations requiring further action.
- To prepare store and use reagents required for laboratory investigations.
- To measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
- To undertake technical validation of the results from laboratory investigations to ensure accuracy and precision as specified by laboratory protocols and quality procedures.
- To undertake preliminary fault finding and corrective action when the quality control procedures indicate loss of performance.
- To report to the Section manager any instance or event which may cause a delay to laboratory investigations.
Scientific
- To undertake method and laboratory instrument evaluation as directed by the Section Manager/Clinical Research Lead.
- To participate in research and development as directed by the Section Manager/Clinical Director.
- To keep up to date with current scientific and technical developments including through participation in scientific meetings if appropriate.
Clinical
- To interpret first line laboratory results and take appropriate actions in line with laboratory policies and procedures. e.g. validation of results, ordering relevant follow-up laboratory procedures, adding technical and approved pre-defined clinically relevant comments, referring results for clinical interpretation or opinion, informing the requestor of clinically significant result.
- Provide approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, and to refer on to appropriate specialists requests for information outside of their area of responsibility.
Quality Assurance
- Maintain the quality assurance procedures of the department. Measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
- To carry out audits to highlight deficiencies in the pre-examination, examination and post-examination processes, as required by the Section Manager / Quality Manager.
- To meet the target turnaround times of laboratory investigations and act on information to improve the service provided. To communicate effectively if TAT will be breached.
- To participate in audits of the Quality Management System (QMS).
- Keep up to date with all tasks required on the QMS system (Q-Pulse).
- To adopt a culture of continuous improvement.
- To highlight any aspects of the service for which there are concerns about quality.
- To make suggestions for improvement.
Risk Management/Health and Safety
- Work within the Departmental Health and Safety Code of practice. Awareness of hazards inherent in the laboratory and use of adequate precautions at all times, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided by the employer.
- To report any adverse incidents as set out in Synnoviss Adverse Incident Policy.
- Maintain laboratory equipment in a safe clean working condition. Perform equipment maintenance schedules as outlined in relevant SOPs. Decontaminate equipment prior to servicing by an engineer issue permit to work certificates. As per the rota log waterbath temperatures daily and fume cupboards weekly.
- To participate in the review of policies and procedures, COSHH and workplace risk assessments.
Continuing Professional Development
- Develop knowledge of the significance of medical laboratory work in order to offer the best possible service to the user.
- Understand your own role and be aware of the management structure of the department.
- Contribute to service initiatives within the laboratory setting.
Laboratory Informatics
- To raise / report any technical issues with data flow with the Section Manager and the Applications Management Systems Team on Service Now.
- Information Governance: To comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
- To use the Laboratory Information System (EPIC / Beaker) according to the authorised protocols.
- To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.
Staff Training
- To support and participate in staff training and development.
- To participate in the supervision of the work and performance monitoring of trainee Biomedical Scientists, Medical Laboratory Assistants and students, in the procedures for which the post holder is responsible.
Administrative
- To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for the standards of United Kingdom Accreditation Service [UKAS ISO15189 (2012)].
- To ensure that results are reported within the agreed turnaround time, and to take appropriate action, for example communicating appropriately with colleagues and managers, should there be impediments to this.
- To accurately and diligently adhere to the stock management policy.
- To ensure departmental resources are used efficiently with minimum wastage.
General
- To comply with the policies and procedures of Synnovis and Kings College Hospital NHS Trust.
- To keep the workplace and workbenches clean and tidy.
- To maintain good work relations with all members of staff, and to promote effective teamwork.
- To treat everyone with courtesy and respect.
- To observe national and local guidance on patient and commercial confidentiality.
- To ensure compliance with all local and national standards of work practice e.g. UKAS.
- To maintain and promote the professional image of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Synnovis.
Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland,and the NHS, including sites, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.
The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
Kings College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of the UKs leading NHS Foundation Trusts in specialist teaching. Kings has various divisions including Neurosciences, Haematology, Cancer and Cardiovascular sciences, where there are unlimited opportunities to develop and perfect your career.
Over the last 170 years, Kings has delivered nothing but world class service to all its patients from deprived communities as well as some of the wealthiest in London.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or Equivalent
- Registration with Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)
Desirable
- IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Immunology
- PhD in Immunology if not HCPC registered
Experience
Essential
- Working independently and as a member of a team
- Experience on blood cell isolation and culture, flow cytometry, nuclear isolation and ELISA
- Experience of research
- Problem solving /troubleshooting
- Review of literature
- Review of Internal Quality Control, specifically related to technical validation of assays
Desirable
- Minimum of 1 year post HCPC registration or at least 4 years (recent) laboratory experience in diagnostics or research
- Experience of Quality Management Systems and UKAS accreditation
- Experience on a variety of analytical platforms, in an immunology setting
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Basic Immunology Theory and Techniques
- Ability to communicate technical information and results with other health professionals
- Ability to communicate within the team to deliver an effective service
- Numerate and able to undertake scientific calculations
- Ability to authorise results for clinical use
- Basic Quality Control and Assurance
- Ability to authorise results for clinical use
Desirable
- Understanding of QMS/ISO15189 guidelines
- Publication of a paper
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Adapts to changing requirements and capable of problem solving
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or Equivalent
- Registration with Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD)
Desirable
- IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Immunology
- PhD in Immunology if not HCPC registered
Experience
Essential
- Working independently and as a member of a team
- Experience on blood cell isolation and culture, flow cytometry, nuclear isolation and ELISA
- Experience of research
- Problem solving /troubleshooting
- Review of literature
- Review of Internal Quality Control, specifically related to technical validation of assays
Desirable
- Minimum of 1 year post HCPC registration or at least 4 years (recent) laboratory experience in diagnostics or research
- Experience of Quality Management Systems and UKAS accreditation
- Experience on a variety of analytical platforms, in an immunology setting
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Basic Immunology Theory and Techniques
- Ability to communicate technical information and results with other health professionals
- Ability to communicate within the team to deliver an effective service
- Numerate and able to undertake scientific calculations
- Ability to authorise results for clinical use
- Basic Quality Control and Assurance
- Ability to authorise results for clinical use
Desirable
- Understanding of QMS/ISO15189 guidelines
- Publication of a paper
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Adapts to changing requirements and capable of problem solving
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
