Research Assistant /Associate, Biological Sciences [LKCMedicine] Full-time

Research Assistant/Associate

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) trains doctors who put patients at the centre of their exemplary care. The School, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programmes, is named after local philanthropist Tan Sri Dato Lee Kong Chian. Established in 2010 by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in partnership with Imperial College London, LKCMedicine aims to be a model for innovative medical education and a centre for transformative research. The School's primary clinical partner is the National Healthcare Group, a leader in public healthcare recognised for the quality of its medical expertise, facilities and teaching. The School is transitioning to an NTU medical school ahead of the 2028 successful conclusion of the NTU-Imperial partnership to set up a Joint Medical School. In August 2024, we welcomed our first intake of the NTU MBBS programme, that has been recently enhanced to include themes like precision medicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with an expanded scope in the medical humanities. Graduates from the five-year undergraduate medical degree programme will have a strong understanding of the scientific basis of medicine, with an emphasis on technology, data science and the humanities.

Dr. Chuchu Wang's lab is an interdisciplinary research lab integrating cryo-EM/ET, lipidomics, and NMR to study protein–lipid interactions in the brain. The key objective is to support efforts to identify how these interactions contribute to neurological disorders and to discover potential therapeutic targets.

We are looking for a Research Assistant/Associate to advance our understanding of how the composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is associated with neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The role will focus on isolating, purifying, characterizing and performing molecular profiling of the derived EVs from both healthy control mice and disease model mice to identify the changes in the proteins, metabolites, and other small molecules. These findings will help us in identifying how the modifications in EV composition may influence neuronal health. Additionally, by investigating the underlying mechanisms behind these differences, we may be able to deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Isolate and purify EVs derived from mouse models
• Characterize EVs using molecular lab techniques such as western blotting
• Perform proteomic and lipidomic profiling of EVs using mass spectrometry
• Conduct comparative analyses to identify differences between EV populations
• Analyze the experimental data, interpret findings and effectively present them

Required educational qualification, experience, skills and competencies:

• A Bachelor's (for Research Assistant) or Master's (for Research Associate) degree in the field of Biological Sciences, preferably in the neuroscience field
• Better to have prior research experience with EVs and knowledge of basic molecular lab techniques
• Basic understanding of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Strong motivation to learn new techniques
• Good analytical and communication skills, with the ability to work well in a team and independently

Hiring Institution: LKC