Uppsala University, Department of Pharmacy

SciLifeLab (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 PhD student 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.

Duties/Project description: The PhD student will work in the field of pharmaceutical nanotechnology, within the project Hybrid nanocarrier drug formulations. The overall purpose of the project is to establish a novel oral drug delivery platform incorporating functional nanoparticles tailored towards personalized medicine. The hybrid approach incorporates functional nanomaterials in the drug delivery system in order to (i) modulate formulation dispersion/dissolution, uptake and thus drug release profiles, and (ii) combine therapeutic with diagnostic capabilities. For example, drug release can be triggered by magnetic hyperthermia and nanoparticle ligands can be targeted towards specific disease biomarkers. The developed nano-enabled drug formulations will be 3D printed into personalized oral solid dosage forms. The ultimate goal is thus to develop a platform for oral drug formulations that can readily be personalized both with respect to the dosage form and the subsequent drug release/targeting capability upon administration.

The project is highly interdisciplinary acting at the interface of pharmaceutical and material sciences. It will primarily explore particle stabilized emulsions as oral drug delivery vehicles exhibiting the previously mentioned functionalities as well as their 3D printability into final oral dosage forms. The PhD student will explore various nanoparticle functionalities to trigger and control drug release. Using experimental methods, the PhD student will work on tailoring nanoparticle properties to encapsulate model drugs, identifying key properties that govern functionality of the novel drug delivery system and characterizing their performance upon oral administration in state-of-the-art pharmaceutical in vitro systems in order to successfully translate nano-enabled diagnosis and therapy to the gastrointestinal tract environment. The project thus closely links nanoparticle synthesis and drug formulation technologies for the design of multifunctional oral dosage forms.

Requirements: The successful candidate should have a Master of Science in Pharmaceutics, Chemical Engineering, Material Sciences or other relevant area.  The applicant must also have excellent communication skills in English, both written and oral, due to the highly international work environment.

Additional qualifications: Previous experience working with nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, pharmaceutical formulation technologies, additive manufacturing techniques and cell-based in vitro models is beneficial.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines http://regler.uu.se/?languageId=1.

Information about postgraduate studies, including eligibility requirements and admission rules, can be found at http://www2.medfarm.uu.se/utbildning/forskarniva/. The holder of a PhD-student position shall primarily devote her or his time to own research studies. Other departmental work, such as educational or administrative duties, can be part of the position (max 20%).

How to apply: The application should contain the following:

  • CV
  • Contact details of at least two references (email and telephone number)
  • A personal letter describing previous experience and qualifications, research interests, plans for the future and motivation to apply for the PhD position,
  • Authorized copies of relevant certificates, degrees and grades, and

Copy of the master thesis and any other relevant document such as publications.

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: According to local agreement for PhD students.
 
Starting date: 15-01-2020 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7.

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 28 October 2019, UFV-PA 2019/3525.

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.

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment 2020-01-15
Salary Fixed salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100 %
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2019/3525
Union representative
  • Seko Universitetsklubben, seko@uadm.uu.se
  • ST/TCO, tco@fackorg.uu.se
  • Saco-rådet, saco@uadm.uu.se
Published 14.Oct.2019
Last application date 28.Oct.2019 11:59 PM CET

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