- $99,993.88-$121,459.06 + 12% superannuation + generous salary packaging options
- Full-time, 1-year fixed term contract with potential opportunity to extend based on performance and funding availability
- Based in Melbourne.
About the Baker Institute
The Baker Institute is an independent, internationally recognised medical research organisation dedicated to addressing Australia’s leading health challenges — cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and related complications such as kidney disease. With a legacy spanning over 99 years, our work ranges from laboratory research to large-scale community studies, focusing on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
As Australia’s first multidisciplinary institute tackling obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, we integrate research, education, and patient care. Our teams of medical specialists, scientists, and public health experts are committed to translating discoveries into practical health solutions.
Based in Melbourne, we employ over 600 staff, students and associates and collaborate with global partners to improve health outcomes everywhere. Our funding is sourced from competitive grants, government support, clinical services, commercial partnerships and philanthropy.
The opportunity
We seek an enthusiastic Immunologist (Research Officer/Senior Research Officer) to join the research program of Dr Jonathan Noonan and Prof Karlheinz Peter.
Our research aims to understand how the immune system contributes to acute and chronic inflammation in the context of cardiovascular disease. The Research Officer will contribute extensively to the investigation of dendritic cell biology and antigen presentation in inflammatory diseases. They will also play a key role in utilising classical immunological models (e.g. vaccination/breach of tolerance) to explore the efficacy of immune-targeted therapeutics that modulate dendritic cell biology.
The Research Officer will integrate with a large team of scientists, clinicians, research staff and students, as well as national and international collaborators, to address critical questions pertaining to the biology of cardiovascular diseases. This position links directly with recent funding receive to develop mRNA therapeutics aiming to (re-)establish immune tolerance in inflammatory disease.
How you'll make an impact
In this role you will be expected to:
- Participate in the design, execution and management of multidisciplinary research projects.
- Use cellular and molecular biology techniques to understand the immunological basis of chronic inflammation in inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
- Scientifically challenge yourself, others, and the established dogma.
- Perform literature and manuscript reviews relevant to the research area.
- Prepare research papers and manuscripts for publication and presentation at conferences and workshops, and actively participate in the writing of project reports, grants and other documents.
- Organise data for the preparation of proposals for new funding.
- Conduct or participate in staff conferences related to the progress of the project(s).
- Develop new and/or revise current research methodologies, experimental designs and analytical methods.
- Participate in the development of goals/hypotheses for research projects and in the planning of related experiments.
- Travel to national and international conferences related to research.
What will you bring?
You will have:
- PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology or a related field.
- Expertise in dendritic cell biology and antigen presentation.
- Experience with animal models and flow cytometry.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to lead projects and collaborate effectively.
- Understanding of cardiovascular disease biology and chronic inflammation.
- Experience with autoimmunity models and single-cell omics.
So, why join us?
Working at the Baker Institute offers generous salary packaging, an employee assistance program, a staff gym, and an active social club. Our offices and laboratories are adjacent to the Alfred Hospital and close to St Kilda Road, Chapel Street, and Fawkner Park.
We’d love to hear from you
To apply for the position, please submit your application via SEEK, quoting reference KP02. Applications should include a current resume and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and relevant qualifications.
We are reviewing applications as they are received, so if you think you're the right person for this role, we'd love to hear from you. Please refer to the position description for further information.
To be eligible to apply for this position you must have appropriate working rights in Australia and you must be immunised with the COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Directions (No 4).
We will close this job ad as soon as we have enough applicants, so please apply without delay.
Should you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly HR team on recruitment@baker.edu.au.