Postdoctoral fellow in drug delivery - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

SciLifeLab (https://www.scilifelab.se/) is a Swedish national center for molecular biosciences with focus on health and environmental research. The center combines frontline technical expertise with advanced knowledge of translational medicine and molecular bioscience. SciLifeLab is hosted by four Swedish universities (Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University) and collaborates with several other universities. 

The Department of Pharmacy offers a stimulating multidisciplinary working environment in research and teaching within the Pharmacy disciplines. The Department centers its research on Drug Delivery, Rational Drug Usage and Pharmaceutical Materials Science. The research is developed by a series of research groups, several of international prominence. The research groups represent a unique cluster of academic competences in Sweden and the Department of Pharmacy has thus a key role in the development of the pharmacy discipline in Sweden. Information about the department and the research groups can be found at www.farmfak.uu.se/farm/.

The Postdoctoral fellow will be linked to the research group Drug Delivery. The group takes a multidisciplinary approach and combines computational chemistry and bioinformatics with cell- and molecular biology, biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutics and physical chemistry to find new ways to predict and define rate-limiting barriers to the absorption and organ distribution of different types of drugs. We anticipate that our research will provide insights into new mechanisms for drug absorption, disposition and delivery, which will support development of new therapeutic strategies for efficient oral drug delivery. The position is placed in the research group of Alexandra Teleki that is associated with the Science for Life Laboratory with a special focus on pharmaceutical nanotechnology.

Duties: 100% post-doctoral research fellow. The post-doctoral fellow will primarily devote his/her time to experimental research work. Within the duties of the position if furthermore the supervision of project students as well as the support of PhD projects (max 20%).

The Postdoctoral fellow will work in the field of pharmaceutical nanotechnology and materials science, within the project Oral formulations of superparamagnetic nanoparticles for in vivo diagnosis. The overall purpose of the project is to develop a new strategy to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) capitalizing on formulations containing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION). Today, there is no standardized diagnostic method available for intestinal inflammation and the current gold standard is the costly assessment by invasive endoscopy accompanied by complementary imaging techniques. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop reliable and patient-compliant diagnostic tools for IBD to also guide the efficient delivery of biological therapies.

The project is highly interdisciplinary acting at the interface of medical and material sciences. We will expand the use of well-established magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to allow for non-invasive and accurate diagnosis of IBD. The project will primarily explore functionalized SPION targeting IBD-specific biomarkers, and explore their aggregation behaviour to develop MRI active biosensors that monitor disease activity and progression in vivo. Using experimental methods, the postdoctoral fellow will work on developing hydrogel formulations acting as inert, oral carriers of functionalized nanoparticles, identifying key properties that govern functionality of the novel biosensor and characterizing their MRI quantification performance both in vitro and in vivo. The project thus closely links nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization with microencapsulation technologies for the design of orally administered, non-invasive biosensors in the gastrointestinal tract. The postdoctoral fellow will also work in another closely associated project exploring the use of functionalized SPION for magnetic manipulation of cells.

Requirements: The successful candidate should have a PhD in Pharmaceutics, Chemical Engineering, Material Sciences or other relevant area. To be eligible to apply you must have a PhD completed within three years of the application deadline. If you received your PhD earlier but special circumstances exist you are also eligible to apply. You must be able to work independently and take own initiatives, but also as part of a team and in collaboration with our partners. The applicant must also have good communication skills in English, both written and oral, due to the highly international work environment.

Additional qualifications: Previous experience working with magnetic nanoparticles, pharmaceutical formulation technologies, solid-state characterization techniques, MRI, and in vivo small animal models is beneficial. Emphasis is placed on personal suitability.

How to apply: The application should contain the following:

• a personal letter in which the applicant describes her- or himself, motivates why she/he has applied for the position, states relevant qualifications and indicates research interests and plans for the future,
• a CV including a list of publications,
• contact details of at least two references,
• authorized copies of relevant certificates, degrees and grades, and
• copies of the three most important publications that the applicant wants to invoke.

Uppsala University strives to be an inclusive workplace that promotes equal opportunities and attracts qualified candidates who can contribute to the University’s excellence and diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and from people of all backgrounds.

Salary: Individual salary.

Starting date: 01-09-2019 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position ending 31-08-2021.

Scope of employment: 100%.

For further information about the position please contact: Assistant Professor Alexandra Teleki, email alexandra.teleki@farmaci.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 7 June 2019, UFV-PA 2019/1627.

Are you considering moving to Sweden to work at Uppsala University? If so, you will find a lot of information about working and living in Sweden at www.uu.se/joinus. You are also welcome to contact International Faculty and Staff Services at ifss@uadm.uu.se.