About this role

- Full time, fixed term for 12 months with the possibility for extension (up to 2 years)
- Exciting opportunity to be a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Immunology and Urinary Tract Disease within the School of Medical Sciences
- Based at The Charles Perkins Centre, Camperdown Campus
- Base Salary starting from $117,936 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Medical Sciences is recognised as one of the leading centres for medical science in the world. With over 100 years of excellence in education, we are proud to be training the next generation of medical scientists who will be leading members of the medical research community with an innovative integrated curriculum. Our team of researchers lead key internationally competitive research from molecules to medicines, from patient to policy across a range of therapeutic areas.

The Urinary Tract Disease Research Group within the School of Medical Sciences is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join our growing research program investigating chronic and severe urinary tract diseases. Led by Dr Malcolm Starkey, the team combines immunology, microbiology, preclinical disease modelling and translational research approaches to better understand the mechanisms underlying urinary tract diseases to inform future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in immunology and host-pathogen interactions, and an interest in applying multi-omics approaches to better understand the biological pathways driving urinary tract disease.

The successful candidate will contribute to a collaborative research program integrating preclinical models, human biospecimens and translational research approaches. The position provides opportunities to work with unique disease models and multidisciplinary collaborators spanning basic, translational and clinical research.

Current research themes include:

- host mechanisms regulating urinary tract health and disease
- biomarker discovery for urinary tract infection and cystinuria
- preclinical testing of novel therapeutic approaches.

This role offers an outstanding opportunity to develop scientific independence, build an international research profile, establish collaborative networks and contribute to a growing research program in urinary tract disease

Your key responsibilities will be to:

- design, conduct and lead laboratory-based research projects investigating urinary tract disease
- employ and further develop advanced experimental techniques including immunology, molecular biology, biomarker discovery and preclinical disease models
- analyse and interpret complex experimental datasets and contribute to high-quality research outputs and publications
- assist with the supervision and mentoring of honours, PhD and research students
- contribute to grant applications, ethics submissions and research reporting
- establish and maintain productive collaborations with academic, clinical and industry stakeholders
- present research findings at local seminars, national conferences and international scientific meetings
- undertake administrative activities and contribute to school and faculty initiatives as appropriate
- foster a positive and inclusive research culture that values collaboration, innovation and excellence
- support and contribute to the strategic priorities of the school, faculty and university
- undertake other duties and projects appropriate to the classification of the role.

About you

essential criteria

- PhD in immunology or a closely related biomedical discipline (e.g. microbiology, molecular biology, biomedical science, medical science)
- extensive hands-on experience with mouse models of disease, including experimental design, complex animal procedures, disease phenotyping, tissue collection and downstream analyses
- demonstrated expertise in immunology, host-pathogen interactions, inflammation, infectious disease biology
- demonstrated experience conducting independent biomedical research to completion
- strong publication record relative to career stage
- demonstrated experience with extensive laboratory techniques relevant to molecular, cellular and translational biomedical research
- strong analytical, organisational, time and problem-solving skills
- exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including scientific writing and presentation experience
- demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and within a multidisciplinary research team.

desirable criteria

- highly developed bioinformatics expertise in one or more of the following areas: single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics
- experience establishing, maintaining and interrogating organoid systems or advanced 3-dimensional epithelial cell culture models
- experience in the histological and histopathological assessment of mouse tissues and biospecimens, including tissue processing, sectioning, staining, imaging and quantitative analysis
- experience with confocal microscopy and quantitative image analysis
- experience with flow cytometric characterisation of immune cells in tissues
- experience with supervising undergraduate or postgraduate research students
- experience developing collaborations with academic, clinical or industry partners
- experience contributing to competitive grant, fellowship or other funding applications.

About the research group

The urinary tract disease research group investigates the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections and cystinuria. Our research combines innovative preclinical models, human cohorts and multidisciplinary approaches to address major unmet needs in urinary tract disease. We maintain collaborations with clinicians, patient advocacy organisations, philanthropic partners and industry collaborators to help guide research priorities and maximise opportunities for translation

Key strengths of the program include:

- access to unique and proprietary preclinical models of cystinuria
- strong capabilities in immunology and preclinical disease modelling
- access to human clinical cohorts and biospecimens
- national and international research collaborations
- partnerships with clinicians, patient advocacy groups, philanthropy and industry
- exposure to research spanning fundamental discovery through to translational application.

The successful candidate will join a dynamic and expanding research environment with excellent opportunities for scientific development, collaboration, networking and career progression.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Work Rights: you must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion , evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People , women , people living with a disability , people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds , and those who identify as LGBTIQ+ . We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion .

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact, Ajaypal Singh, Recruitment Operations by email to [email protected].

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close
Sunday 08 November 2026 11:59 PM