Postdoctoral position in the field of Translational Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences has 150 employees and a number of visiting researchers and fellow students. The department has twelve research groups with a common administration and we are doing research and teaching in pharmaceutical cell biology / biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutical and drug addiction, pharmacotherapy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacometry, clinical pharmacy, bioinformatics, imaging mass spectrometry, molecular neuropharmacology, immunology, biological drugs / biotechnology as well as toxicology and drug safety. More information about the department and its activities can be found at www.farmbio.uu.se

Project: In vivo characterisation and validation of novel blood-brain barrier targets and their potential for brain delivery of biotherapeutics

The postdoctoral position will be working in the research group of Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (tPKPD;  https://www.farmbio.uu.se/research/translational-pkpd/). The group takes a multidisciplinary approach to improve the understanding of fundamental and functional aspects of PKPD in health and disease, with special focus on drug delivery to the brain. Within this area, the group among other projects addresses translation of PK data from the preclinical to the clinical setting. This is important for optimising the drug discovery processes and promoting efficient treatment of CNS diseases. We are interested in brain drug delivery in relation to transport processes of both small and large molecules across the CNS barriers including the blood-brain barrier (BBB). 

The postdoctoral position will focus on in vivo characterization and validation of novel BBB targets and their potential for brain delivery of biotherapeutics using pharmacokinetic methods. The project is a part of the EU IMI2-RIA funded project IM2PACT - Investigating Mechanisms and Models Predictive of Accessibility of Therapeutics Into The Brain (http://im2pact.org/).

IM2PACT is a consortium of 27 international partners from academia, industry, and small and medium enterprises, aims to tackle the unmet challenge of discovery and characterisation of blood-brain barrier targets and transport mechanisms for brain delivery of therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

Work duties: The postdoctoral fellow will primarily devote his/her time to experimental research, in particular design and performance of in vivo preclinical studies in rodents, bioanalysis of samples using appropriate for the investigated biotherapeutic modality method, e.g. ELISA, LC-MS/MS followed by pharmacokinetic analysis. The duties also include collaboration with the partners within the IM2PACT consortium, writing papers and participating in international meetings. Within the duties of the position is furthermore supervision of Master students.

Requirements: To qualify for an employment as a postdoctor you must have a PhD degree or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD degree in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, Medical sciences . The PhD degree must have been obtained no more than three years prior to the application deadline. The three year period can be extended due to circumstances such as sick leave, parental leave, duties in labour unions, etc.

Special weight is put on in vivo skills in preclinical research including a FELASA C certificate, on experience with in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of biotherapeutics (e.g. antibodies, peptides),  and data analysis. You must be able to work independently and take own initiatives, but also be part of the team and collaborate with our partners in the IM2PACT consortium. Emphasis is put on personal suitability. The applicant must also have good communication skills in English, both written and oral, due to the highly international work environment.

Additional qualifications: Knowledge on structure and function of CNS barriers including blood-brain barrier, blood-CSF barrier in health and disease as well as a good understanding of transport mechanisms of biotherapeutics including therapeutic antibodies across the brain barriers is valuable. Previous experience with in vivo microdialysis and in situ brain perfusion is beneficial. Familiarity with mathematical PK/PD modelling and simulation is advantageous.

The application should contain the following:

• A personal letter in which the applicant describes her- or himself, motivates why he/she 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
• Authorised copies of relevant certificates, degrees and grades.

Salary: Individual salary.

Starting date: 01-09-2020 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position according to central collective agreement.

Scope of employment: 100 %

For further information about the position please contact: please contact professor Margareta Hammarlund-Udenaes e-mail mail to: mhu@farmbio.uu.se, +4618-471 4300 or administrative coordinator Marina Rönngren, e-mail mail to: Marina.Ronngren@farmbio.uu.se. 

Please submit your application by 30 July 2020, UFV-PA 2020/2410.

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.