Professor of protein therapeutics

The Department of Pharmacy is part of Sweden’s only faculty of pharmacy. The department, which consists of 13 research groups and one infrastructure unit, is based at the Uppsala Biomedical Centre (BMC). We teach, conduct research and collaborate with the surrounding community on issues related to the development and use of drugs. Our core areas include computer models and simulations, in vitro models for absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME), drug delivery, the development of biopharmaceuticals, advanced in vivo models, and studies of social pharmacy policy and the societal aspects of optimising individual drug use. Together, we constitute a unique environment of expertise in pharmaceutical science; we are one of the main actors shaping the future of pharmacy both in Sweden and internationally. The department hosts the Swedish Drug Delivery Centre (SweDeliver), a centre of excellence at the intersection of academia and industry with 14 corporate partners. The department also hosts the Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling Platform (UDOPP), Sweden’s national ADME infrastructure and part of the Drug Discovery and Development Platform (DDD) at SciLifeLab.

Selected research areas: Biopharmaceuticals • Clinical Pharmacy • Drug Delivery • Molecular Pharmaceuticals • Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology • Pharmacokinetics • Pharmacodynamics • Pharmacometrics • Pharmacoepidemiology • Pharmacotherapy • Social Pharmacy.

More information about the department: https://www.uu.se/en/department/pharmacy?languageId=1

Description of the subject area

Research into protein therapeutics encompasses the study of protein expression, development, characterisation, formulation and administration. It also covers the study of how protein therapeutics interact with other proteins, biological membranes and cells, as well as the design and development of new therapeutic proteins and drugs based on protein mimetics. The subject area is highly dependent on advances in computer simulations and models, as well as in vitro methods based on in-depth knowledge of cellular biology and cell-based expression systems.

Duties

Research fields related to the design of protein therapeutics and techniques for early protein drug discovery are of particular interest to the Department of Pharmacy. For this position, we are seeking a candidate with documented expertise in the innovative design of safe and effective protein therapeutics, with a specific focus on aspects of person-centred care.

The position involves overall responsibility for research and education in the subject area protein therapeutics and biopharmaceuticals. The successful applicant will be expected to develop technologies and methods of significance to precision medicine, taking a pharmaceutical research approach. The successful applicant will be expected to develop and lead an internationally prominent research programme in protein therapeutics or drugs based on protein mimetics. The successful applicant will be expected to collaborate with researchers within the faculty who are working on in silico modelling, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug delivery.

Duties will include teaching and supervision in the first, second and third cycles, primarily within the Faculty of Pharmacy’s international programmes. The successful applicant will also be expected to contribute to the multidisciplinary environment at the Department of Pharmacy and Faculty of Pharmacy.

The position includes administrative duties and managerial responsibility as part of Uppsala University’s internal operations. The successful applicant will be expected to keep abreast of broader developments in protein therapeutics and biopharmaceuticals, as well as aspects of societal development of relevance to the subject area. The position also includes disseminating information about research and development to the scientific community and the public.

Qualifications

A person who has demonstrated both research and teaching expertises is considered qualified for employment as a professor (Chapter 4, Section 3, Higher Education Ordinance). According to Appointment Regulations for Uppsala University (AR), a general requirement is that the personal qualities are suitable to perform the duties well (Section 5 AR).

Research expertise must have been demonstrated by independent research work and by the fact that the applicant’s activities maintain a high international standard. The applicant must have demonstrated expertise in planning, initiating, leading and developing research, have demonstrated the capacity to obtain research funding in competition, and demonstrate well-documented expertise in supervising third-cycle students. The applicant’s contributions to the international and national academic community will be assessed on the basis of, among other things, the quality and scope of their academic publications in publishing channels most relevant to the subject. See AR Section 31.

Teaching expertise must have been demonstrated by qualifications in education and teaching. Furthermore, the applicant must demonstrate well-documented expertise in supervision in the first, second and third cycles. A prerequisite for having demonstrated teaching expertise is that applicants have completed teacher training for higher education of relevance to operations at the University, comprising at least ten weeks, or have acquired the equivalent knowledge. If special circumstances apply, this training for teachers in higher education may be completed during the first two years employment. The teacher training must also include third cycle supervision. See AR Sections 22 and 32.

The applicant must have a documented ability to teach in English.

Assessment criteria

When choosing between qualified applicants, the primary consideration will be research expertise and then teaching expertise. A balanced assessment will however be made so that an applicant with considerably more advanced teaching expertise may be ranked above an applicant with a slight advantage in terms of research expertise.

When assessing research expertise, particular weight will be given to qualifications in the design and early discovery of protein therapeutics or drugs based on protein mimetics. Experience of and competence in translational research will also be considered a particularly useful qualification. Particular weight will also be given to experience of working in and an understanding of the pharmaceutical context in terms of stability, formulation, quality and the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic aspects of protein therapeutics and drugs based on protein mimetics.

In assessing research expertise, research quality is the prime consideration. The scope of research, primarily in regard to depth and breadth, must also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop research and research education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others both within academia and in the wider community. See also Section 3 of Guidelines and Assessment Criteria for Recruiting and Promoting Teachers at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy (GA) and Section 20 AR.

In assessing teaching expertise, teaching quality is the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop teaching instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching in respect to research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. The ability to interact concerning issues of teaching and learning in higher education with actors inside and outside the University is also included in teaching expertise. See also Section 4 GA and Section 22 AR.

Assessment criteria, other expertise

Administrative and leadership expertise are significant to the position and will be assigned importance. The ability to collaborate with the surrounding community and to inform the public about research and development will be considered.

Leadership expertise is demonstrated through the ability to lead operations and employees, make decisions, assume responsibility and motivate and provide others with the conditions necessary to attain common goals. The ability to coordinate the group and contribute to generating commitment, participation and job satisfaction and the ability to manage conflicts are further examples of demonstrated expertise. See Sections 29-30 AR and Section 5 GA.

According to the Appointment Regulations, administrative expertise is demonstrated, for example, through the capacity to plan, organize and prioritize work in an efficient and task-related manner, as well as through the ability to assign and observe time frames. Expertise includes overall operational planning and the capacity to manage resources in a way that reflects operational priorities, as well as the ability to work in a structured manner based on an awareness of goals and quality. See Sections 27-28 AR and Section 5 GA.

Collaborative expertise is significant to the position and will be assigned weight. According to Section 6 GA, the following apply: When assessing collaborative expertise, experience with and expertise in education and outreach, editorships and other activities related to knowledge exchange between the University and the surrounding community, as well as experience with innovation and entrepreneurship, shall be of significance.

When the University appoints new professors, those applicants must be selected who, following qualitative holistic assessment of their competence and expertise, are judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties and to help advance operations. See AR §4.

All qualifications must be documented so that both quality and degree can be assessed. During the evaluation of submitted applications, international referees may be used. In this event, the University may need to send applications that are written in Swedish to a qualified translator.

The gender-equality aspect must be applied in an appointment if it is determined following a qualitative assessment that two applicants of different gender have equal or approximately equal qualifications and if either gender is under-represented (comprises less than 40% within the relevant category of posts and in the relevant workplace).

The applicant’s parental leave, part-time work relating to care of children, or the like, will be regarded as qualifying work experience.

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

https://www.uu.se/en/staff/organisation-and-governance/regulations/appointment-regulations-for-uppsala-university?contentId=92570

https://www.uu.se/en/staff/organisation-and-governance/regulations/guidelines-and-assessment-criteria-for-recruiting-and-promoting-teachers-at-the-disciplinary-domain-of-medicine-and-pharmacy?contentId=895286

https://www.uu.se/en/staff/organisation-and-governance/regulations/career-portfolios---assessment-guidelines-and-compilation-instructions?contentId=721164

Salary: Individual salary

Starting date: As agreed

Form of employment: Permanent employment

Scope of employment: Full-time 

For more information, please contact:

Head of department Lena Friberg, 070-425 02 03, lena.friberg@uu.se

Dean Mathias Hallberg, 018-471 41 41, mathias.hallberg@uu.se

Welcome to submit your application, no later than 3 November, 2025, UFV-PA 2025/2592