Senior Research Fellow, Advanced Human Cell (Respiratory) Culture [LKCMedicine] Full-time

Senior Research Fellow

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.

Research in the Chotirmall Lab centres on translational respiratory science, aiming to improve patient care through a deeper scientific understanding of disease. The group focuses on clinically significant areas affecting Singaporean and Asian populations, particularly chronic inflammatory lung diseases like bronchiectasis, COPD, and severe asthma. By combining genomic, molecular, and clinical approaches, the lab investigates disease mechanisms and geographic variation to support personalized treatment strategies. A key area of interest is infectious respiratory disease and the pulmonary microbiome, especially the roles of Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic lung conditions. The lab also explores environmental impacts on infection and has developed novel data science tools for microbiome integration and patient risk stratification.

We are currently recruiting a Senior Research Fellow with expertise in advanced human cell culture, focusing on airway epithelial models. The key objective of this role is to support the development and implementation of a national biorepository of respiratory-derived cell cultures, with the overarching aim of enhancing pandemic preparedness. This includes contributing to the establishment, characterization, and maintenance of a diverse and well-documented repository of human respiratory cell models that can be rapidly accessed for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic response during emerging infectious disease outbreaks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and maintain hNEC-ALI cultures from human clinical samples, ensuring high-quality differentiation and reproducibility.
• Establish and optimize airway or lung-derived organoid models for experimental use.
• Process and handle human biospecimens (e.g., nasal brushes, tissue biopsies) in compliance with institutional biosafety and ethical standards.
• Design and perform functional assays (e.g., TEER, immunofluorescence, gene expression analysis) on ALI and organoid systems.
• Collaborate with molecular biology and bioinformatics teams for downstream analysis (e.g., transcriptomics, microbiome interaction studies).
• Maintain accurate experimental records and contribute to SOP development and optimization.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff or research assistants as needed.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, grant applications, and research presentations.
• Manage data organization, storage, and documentation to ensure reproducibility and compliance with data governance policies.
• Assist in lab administration tasks to ensure smooth research operations.
• Provide leadership in strategy development to guide research priorities. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, clinicians, and external partners, to advance research projects.
• Maintain a strong record of publication output in peer-reviewed journals, and present research findings at national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops.
• Write grant proposals and contribute to securing funding for ongoing and future research projects.
• Mentor junior staff to build capacity and foster professional growth.

Key Competencies and Requirements:

• PhD in Cell Biology, Biomedical Science, or related field, with >3 years of relevant postdoctoral or equivalent experience.
• Proven expertise in human primary airway epithelial cell culture and/or organoid technology.
• Strong hands-on experience in hNEC isolation, differentiation, and maintenance at air-liquid interface.
• Experience in 3D organoid culture techniques and manipulation.
• Proficiency in microscopy (including IF/IHC), qPCR, ELISA, and functional assays for epithelial biology.
• Familiarity with ethical and biosafety handling of human clinical samples.
• Experience in respiratory infectious disease models and host–microbiome interaction studies is highly preferable.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of multitasking across projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong collaborative mindset and ability to work in a team-based research environment.
• Leadership qualities with mentoring or supervisory experience preferred.

We regret to inform that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.