PhD Position in Medicinal Chemistry - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry conducts research in the field of drug development, which includes organic synthesis, drug design and pharmaceutical physical and analytical chemistry. The department is responsible for teaching drug-related subjects in several programs, for example in the pharmacist program and the prescription program. The department has about 85 employees and here doctoral students, teachers, researchers and administrators work closely together in a creative and open environment. More information about the department and its teaching is available at www.ilk.uu.se.

This position is partly funded by the Uppsala Antibiotic Center (UAC), and the recruited PhD student will be part of UAC’s graduate research school. UAC is a center for research, education, innovation & awareness founded in 2015 to bring together, stimulate and support important research on antibiotic resistance from all three disciplinary domains at Uppsala University: Medicine and Pharmacy, Science and Technology, and Humanities and Social Sciences. The doctoral student positions and graduate school are central parts of UAC with the goal of educating a new generation of researchers with broad knowledge and willingness to contribute to combating the problem of antibiotic resistance. For more information about UAC: www.uac.uu.se.

Project description: Antibiotics constitute one of the central pillars of medicine. To ensure efficient treatment of infectious diseases also in the future, it is of utmost importance that continued efforts are dedicate towards development of new antibiotic compounds that are capable of combatting emerging resistant bacterial strains. The purpose of this project is to identify new small molecule binders of antibacterial targets using the DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology. The DEL technology currently constitutes one of the most powerful screening methods available. Thus, we are now seeking a candidate with genuine interest in parallel synthesis and small molecule screening.

Requirements: The candidate should have, or expect to soon have, a M.Sc. degree (or equivalent degree) in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy or a related field. The applicant should ideally have a background in synthetic organic chemistry, and should be interested in applying these skills towards biologically orientated research problems. Candidates with past experience from the areas of organic synthesis, parallel synthesis or library design will be prioritized, as this project will involve both the synthesis of versatile, multifunctional building blocks as well as their expansion and diversification on DNA (i.e. DEL synthesis).

As a part of this position, the candidate is expected to document all experimental work, being able to efficiently plan research experiments and analyze their results, as well as contribute to the writing of research manuscripts. The candidate is also expected to be able to present his or her results on group meetings and various department seminars. In addition, the candidate is expected to contribute to teaching activities at the department. As the main languages in our working environment are Swedish and English, the student must be fluent in either one of these two languages.

Merits: Furthermore, as this project will also involve the purification and characterization of organic compounds, it is considered highly valuable if the candidate has practical experience of different chromatography and spectroscopy techniques.

Information about postgraduate studies, including eligibility requirements and admission rules, can be found at Doctoral level programmes within Medicine and Pharmacy. 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%). Of time spent on other work duties, the time for research will be extended to correspond to 4 years full-time studies.

Applicants will be ranked by the supervisor in consultation with the Department Research Education group. We aim to recruit a student who is judged most suitable to carry out and develop the current position, and will contribute positively to the development of the department. The Committee for Research Education at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy will admit the PhD student.

For employment to be possible, it is required that the candidate is either already accepted or will be accepted for our research education program.

Application: Applications should be written in English and should include the following documentation:

• Personal letter with a short description of you and why you are interested in the position, including also a short summary of your experience and expertise in the research area and teamwork (max 2 pages).
• CV, which includes contact information, information about language skills, information about education and past work experiences.
• Copy of Master thesis
• Authorized copies of documented education.
• Contact information to two persons to act as references.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.

Salary: According to local agreement for PhD students.

Starting date: 1 September 2021 or as otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 §§ 1-7.

Scope of employment: 100 %

Further information about the position: Dr Oscar Verho, oscar.verho@ilk.uu.se.

Further information about the employment: Head of Department Anders Karlén, anders.karlen@ilk.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 18 June 2021, UFV-PA 2021/2214.