Postdoctoral Research Associate

The University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
£41–49k/year
Employment type: Full-time
Level: Junior

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May meet the UK Skilled Worker threshold (£41,700, as of Oct 2026)

UK Skilled Worker threshold: £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation, if higher.
Posted pay, full-time and yearly: £41,064–48,822.
Only the top of the pay range reaches it.
May still qualify: non-STEM PhD holders (90% of the going rate) (£37,500).
May still qualify: new entrants (under 26, students, graduates), STEM PhD holders or immigration salary list jobs (£33,400).

Indicative, not legal advice. UK Skilled Worker figure in force since 22 Jul 2025, checked 18 Oct 2026. Official source

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The University of EdinburghPosted on the employer’s careers page · elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.comLicensed sponsor (UK)

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Possible country route: Skilled Worker. A licensed sponsor, certificate of sponsorship and an eligible role are needed. Salary and English requirements depend on the application.

Outside the UK: usually 3 weeks after submitting the application, identity and documents. Sponsor preparation and appointments are additional.

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Reviewed 2026-10-14. Country routes are context, not a confirmation that this vacancy or your passport qualifies.

Description (EN)

Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum

School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences/Centre for Cardiovascular Science

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed term: 18 months

The Opportunity:

Where discovery never stops. Be part of something bigger.

We offer careers and roles in just about every area you can think of. Whether you’re looking to take the next step in your current specialism, explore a new challenge, or broaden your experience, we offer opportunities where you can flourish and make a real difference. Our people come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their abilities and experiences to our organisation, helping us thrive and innovate together.

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students performance and wellbeing.

People have always been at the heart of our work. Our people are at the centre of the University community and everything we do. We value colleagues with drive, determination and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you in building the right meaningful flexibility that works for you

We are currently looking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to perform scientific research to investigate the characteristics of indoor air pollution and its potential to affect health. The project forms part of a wider multi-disciplinary UKRI Hub of research organisations in the UK called "INHABIT", which looks at how building net-zero measures may affect indoor air quality.

This project will be predominantly lab based, using oxidative potential assays to assess the reactivity of air pollution particles and in vivo models to assess the potential toxicological effects of these particles.

The role holder will contribute to the development of new ideas, approaches, concepts or techniques, as well as take an active role in the direction of the research project and dissemination of research outputs

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:

Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your experience
Leading-edge research
Contributing to the work and purpose of the University.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) and fully on-campus at the Edinburgh BioQuarter (next to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh). The post is a fixed term appointment for 18 months with the possibility of extension depending on funding.

Your skills and attributes for success:

A PhD, or equivalent, in a related biomedical background, e.g. air pollution or particle research, toxicology, physiology.
Experience of some of the laboratory techniques involved in the research, e.g. particle characterisation, acellular assays of oxidative potential, in vivo rodent models, assays to measure signalling pathways, (e.g ELISAs for inflammatory cytokines, fluorescence assays, flow cytometry), organ bath preparations, histology.
Experience of recruitment of volunteers or public interaction for research studies, would be advantageous
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, contributing to both the practical work but also assisting with the project management, e.g. organising provision or purchase of research consumables, liaising with collaborating labs.
Enthusiasm to develop the research area and programme through manuscript writing and supporting grant applications.

Click to view a copy of the full job description.

Application Information

Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:

- CV

- Cover letter

As a valued member of our team you can expect:

A competitive salary
An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 4 November 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

School of Neurological and Cardiovascular Sciences

We host research and postgraduate training in neuroscience, cardiovascular, metabolic and psychiatric research. We are one of six schools in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and are home to the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research.

Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research
Our institute fosters collaborative neuroscience, cardiovascular, metabolic and psychiatric research to tackle some of the world's most significant health challenges.

Our research explores health and disease across the body and life course – from tiny changes in cells to the lived experience of patients. Together, we work to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of major health conditions including heart disease, stroke, metabolic dysfunction, mental illness, dementia and neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Empowered by genetics, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence and clinical trials, our research seamlessly connects discovery science with clinical care.

Our work is internationally acclaimed, achieving 4* and world-leading classifications for the majority of our research, health and wealth impacts and research papers in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 assessment, the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

As part of driving progress in our core research areas, we host internationally leading research centres and state-of-the-art technologies:

Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic
British Heart Foundation (BHF) Centre of Research Excellence
Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention | CPSP
Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research
Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility
Edinburgh Imaging
Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory
Medical Research Council/British Hearth Foundation Centre of Research Excellence in Advanced Cardiac Therapies
MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research | MS Society
Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre
Patrick Wild Centre
Row Fogo Centre for Research into Ageing and the Brain
Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB)
UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh
UKRI Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry

Our institute community

Our researchers drive cutting-edge science, enabling our students and working hand in hand with our expert technical and professional services colleagues. We are committed to creating a collaborative, inclusive and welcoming community, where everyone feels supported, empowered and inspired to achieve their best.

Training and education
We offer a wide range of postgraduate training opportunities. Students learn from world-class researchers, access outstanding facilities and get support to develop. Our graduates go on to successful careers in academia, research, healthcare and industry worldwide. Our colleagues are also leading contributors to undergraduate programmes. As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.

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Published 5 days ago