biology jobs in Melbourne VIC

Job Title

Job Description

An excellent opportunity is available for a Research Assistant to join the Wickramasinghe Lab in the Genetics and Gene Regulation Division at Australia’s pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the position

The Wickramasinghe Lab leverages their curiosity driven work on export of RNA from the nucleus to develop new RNA targeting therapies to treat cancer. We ask biological questions of fundamental importance. To achieve this the Wickramasinghe Lab uses a multidisciplinary approach encompassing both fundamental RNA biology and translational biology to make discoveries of lasting impact. These include uncovering how circular RNAs are exported from the nucleus (Ngo et al., Nature, 2024) and uncovering novel mechanisms of mRNA export (Williams et al., Molecular Cell, 2025).

The Wickramasinghe lab is interested in many aspects of RNA biology, including RNA splicing, processing and export. We are interested in how transcription is coupled to mRNA export and how RNAs are transported within the nucleus through different nuclear domains.

While the Wickramasinghe lab is unashamedly fundamental in nature, our efforts to develop first-in-class inhibitors of mRNA export to treat cancer have resulted in the spin-out of a company with Professor Guillaume Lessene, exteRNA, with significant venture capital funding.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative and supportive research team (1 PhD student, 6 post-doctoral researchers). They will benefit from an extensive network of local and international collaborators across Australia, Europe and the US. They will have the opportunity to establish and drive, as well as contribute to collaborative research projects across the lab. They will also be expected to provide organisational and technical support for the Wickramasinghe Lab. They will be primarily responsible for general lab organisation and maintenance.

Terms of Appointment
This position is available until December 2027 in a full time capacity. Salary is Research Support Employee (RSE) Level 5 ($84,479 - $97,036). Very attractive salary packaging options are available for general living expenses, meal entertainment, novated leasing and more. 12% superannuation payable, plus up to a further 5% after the first 6 months of service via our matching superannuation scheme.

General enquiries can be directed to Vihandha Wickramasinghe – wickramasinghe@wehi.edu.au

A position description is available here.

How to Apply
Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in pdf format.

Application Closing Date: 30 July 2026.