Bruce Fellowship in Immuno-Neurology, Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition (IMS338R)

The University of Aberdeen is offering two Independent Bruce Fellowships for outstanding early-career researchers working in Immuno-Ophthalmology, Immuno-Neurology, or related disciplines relevant to Ophthalmology and Visual Science. These fellowships have been enabled by the generous philanthropic support of David Bruce, whose legacy gift, in support of Ophthalmology, established the Bruce Fellowships

Job Description

These two-year fellowships are designed for researchers who have already developed a distinct programme of research, generated promising preliminary data, and are now seeking to establish academic independence. The fellowships will provide protected research time, mentorship, and access to a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment to enable the incumbents to strengthen their research portfolio and develop competitive applications for major extramural funding.

The programme is intended to support the transition from postdoctoral researcher to independent investigator, providing the opportunity to refine research questions, generate critical data, build collaborations, and establish a sustainable independent research trajectory. In addition to salary support, fellows will have access to proactive mentorship and a substantial discretionary research fund designed to accelerate the development of their independent research programme and maximise competitiveness for external fellowship funding.

Applications are welcomed from candidates whose research addresses immunological mechanisms in Ophthalmology, Neuro-Ophthalmology or Visual Science. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Ocular inflammatory disease (uveoretinitis)
• Autoimmune disorders affecting the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis
• Neurodegenerative diseases of the eye and brain, including age-related macular degeneration and dementia-related visual dysfunction
• Diabetes-related complications affective the eye or central nervous system
• Retinal and optic nerve disease
• Translational and experimental approaches to visual and neurological disorders
• Neuroinflammation and neuroimmune interactions

For appointment as a Research Fellow, salary will be at the appropriate point on the Grade 6 scale, £39,560 - £46,970 per annum, and negotiable with placement according to qualifications and experience.

For appointment as an Advanced Research Fellow, salary will be at the appropriate point on the Grade 7 scale, £48,337 - £57,666 per annum, and negotiable with placement according to qualifications and experience.

Informal enquiries should be made to Should you wish to make an informal enquiry please contact: Prof John Forrester (j.forrester@abdn.ac.uk); Dr Tara Sutherland (tara.sutherland@abdn.ac.uk) or Prof Heather M Wilson (h.m.wilson@abdn.ac.uk).

Prior to employment, the successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route under the UKVI immigration rules but is dependent on factors specific to the candidate and if tradeable points can be used under the rules, and should also be eligible for a Global Talent Visa.

Information on other visa options is available at https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

Please do not hesitate to contact Grant Rae, HR Adviser (e-mail: grant.rae@abdn.ac.uk) for further information.

Applicants should submit a cover letter that includes a brief summary (2-3 sentences) of their proposed fellowship research.

To apply online for this position visit www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs

Job Reference Number: IMS338R

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 18 January 2026

Please Note

If you are unable to complete an application online, please contact the Recruitment Team (HRRecruitment@abdn.ac.uk) to make alternative arrangements for submitting your application within plenty of time before the advertised post closes.