Research Associate - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About Us

The Rosenblatt lab studies how epithelia maintain a functional barrier and proper cell numbers, despite turning over at high rates by cell death and cell division. We found mechanics control both opposing processes: when cells are too sparse, stretch activates cell division and when too many, crowding activates cell death by ‘epithelial cell extrusion’. While we first discovered extrusion as a process that eliminates dying cells without creating any gaps within the epithelium, we later discovered that most epithelial cells die as a result of live cell extrusion. Due to the significant role extrusion plays in epithelial cell death, a variety of diseases, ranging from bacterial and viral pathogenesis, asthma, and cancer, can result when it is misregulated. Inflammation and infection can result from excess extrusion whereas aberrant basal cell extrusion (back into the tissue epithelia encase) can drive cell invasion and de-differentiation in a class of aggressive tumours. We are currently using organoids and mouse lung slices to investigate the fate of cells that invade by basal extrusion and the signalling that drives this.

The Rosenblatt lab is within the  Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics which is situated within the  School of Basic & Biomedical Sciences (BMBS) and is part of the  Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine . It is involved in a wide range of fundamental research projects at the interface between biology, biomedicine, chemistry and physics.

About The Role

The research associate will be selected to investigate how metabolism and mitochondrial membrane potential impacts epithelial cell extrusion of normal and transformed cells.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered  a fixed term contract until 31st January 2027 with a start date no sooner than 1st February 2026.

The role is based onsite.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the  Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the  Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.