SUMMARY:
A PHD Student (Fixed Term Contract) vacancy is available at our Client, Wits Health Consortium's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (Wits NICD) in Sandringham, Johannesburg - Gauteng.
POSITION INFO:
Background
Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Limited ("WHC") is a wholly-owned Company of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa) under its Faculty of Health Sciences. WHC provides Faculty with a legal framework within which to operate the research and other activities necessary to support its academic objectives. In addition, WHC offers a range of products and services to the Academics conducting these activities in order to assist with the management thereof.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (Wits NICD) is a major global player in infectious disease intelligence. The Wits NICD is a source of knowledge and expertise in regionally relevant communicable diseases to the South African Government, SADC countries, and the African continent. The Wits NICD assists in the planning of policies and programmes and supports appropriate responses to communicable disease problems and issues.
Main purpose of the job
- A position exists for a PhD student to work on antibody function against COVID-19 in the Antibody Immunity Research Unit at the NICD
- The student, supervised by Prof. Penny Moore and Dr. Simone Richardson, will investigate the cytotoxic function of antibodies in COVID-19 infection and vaccination
- This will inform novel strategies to elicit these antibodies in next-generation pan-coronavirus vaccines
- This position will be funded by bursary as per National Research Foundation rates
Location
- NICD, Sandringham, Johannesburg
Key performance areas
- Mammalian cell culture, flow cytometry, functional cell-based assays (performing and analyzing novels Fc effectors function assays, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, complement deposition, phagocytosis, and trogocytosis)
- Antibody purification, neutralization assays, and multiplex binding assays will be performed
- Statistical analysis will be applied to understand networks of immunological data
Required minimum education and training
- MSc in Microbiology or a related discipline
Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities
- Prior work with infectious and biohazardous samples would be an asset
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Computer literacy (particularly MS Word and Excel)
- Experience with FlowJo would be favourable analytical and problem-solving ability
- Exceptional self-management, conscientious work ethic as well as above-average attention to detail
- Motivated, organized, systematic and professional
- Should be able to work under pressure with efficient multitasking
- Must be willing to work after hours, as needed
- Knowledge of multivariant statistical analysis and basic R literacy is an advantage
TO APPLY
- Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV - Please Apply Online
- Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
- The closing date for all applications is 15 June 2021.
- Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
- Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.
- In accordance with our Employment Equity goals and plan, preference will be given to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.
Please note that AJ PERSONNEL is only responsible for the advertising of the advertisement on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.
NB! This job is now closed. You can apply for other jobs by uploading your CV.
