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PhD student in Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistry within the Swedish Drug Delivery Center (SweDeliver)
Department of Medicinal Chemistry at Uppsala University is a strong and international research environment. 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 can be found at www.ilk.uu.se.
We need a highly motivated person who wants to contribute to the development of a new in vitro method to model and predict what happens with subcutaneously administered biological drugs. The doctoral position will be located in the research group Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistr
The research group Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistry aims to clarify the connections between the structure of drug molecules, their physico-chemical properties and the possibilities of controlling how they are stored in and released from different types of particulate drug carriers and formulations. The aim is to create new knowledge that makes it possible to develop new or improved systems for drug administration, and to develop in vitro methods for modelling what happens to drug products after administration, including macromolecular drugs such as peptides and proteins and small molecular drugs such as cancer drugs. The group’s activities are both experimental and theoretical and lie in the border area between physical chemistry, drug formulation and materials science. In our investigations, we combine experimental and theoretical methods. Experimental methods include small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), neutron reflectometry, static and dynamic light scattering (SLS/DLS), microfluidics, micropipette-assisted microscopy, confocal microscopy, fluorescence methods (FRAP and fluorescence quenching), and rheology. For more information about our research and the research team, see: https://www.ilk.uu.se/research-groups/pharmaceutical-physical-chemistry/
Within SweDeliver, the group conducts research in the field of parenteral administration, with a special focus on subcutaneous administration. The goal is to develop methods to predict the release from subcutaneously injected drug formulations, as well as the absorption and bioavailability of subcutaneously administered drugs, especially biomacromolecular active substances. The aim is to facilitate the development of drug products with high bioavailability and low patient variability by identifying molecular properties that determine how drugs diffuse in, and are transported through, the extracellular matrix, where the interaction between the drugs and important constituents of the tissue such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, fatty acids and albumin is expected to be of meaning. More information about the parenteral work package and SweDeliver can be found here: https://www.uu.se/forskning/swedeliver/research-and-activities
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Duties
You will use experimental methods to study the transport of biological drugs in a synthetic model of the extracellular matrix in subcutaneous adipose tissue in combination with in vivo experiments in animal models. The aim is (1) to increase the knowledge of factors affecting the tissue interactions of peptide/protein drugs during transport from the injection site to the target organ, and (2) to evaluate the predictive capacity of in vitro methods with respect to absorption and bioavailability of subcutaneously administered drugs.
As a member of the research team, you are expected to plan your experiments, analyze the results and document all experimental work, as well as contribute to the writing of scientific articles. You are also expected to present your results at meetings and seminars within the research group and the department, as well as perform administrative tasks in connection with reporting research results.
Requirements
To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must
- hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in pharmacy, chemical engineering, or chemistry, or
- have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
- have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.
You are responsible, meticulous and have the ability to work independently as well as in a group. Good ability to express oneself in written and spoken English is a requirement. The degree of ability to assimilate postgraduate education is decisive for employment.
Additional qualifications
Previous experience (theoretical and practical) in above all physical chemistry and adjacent areas such as surface and colloid chemistry and polymer chemistry is meritorious. Good ability to express yourself in Swedish in writing and speaking is an advantage.
Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University’s rules and guidelines.
About the employment
The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 21 August 2023 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala
For further information about the position, please contact: Professor Per Hansson, e-post: per.hansson@ilk.uu.se.
Please submit your application by 31 July 2023, UFV-PA 2023/2319.
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Submit your application through Uppsala University’s recruitment system.
Placement: Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Type of employment: Full time , Temporary position
Pay: Fixed salary
Number of positions: 1
Working hours: 100 %
Town: Uppsala
County: Uppsala län
Country: Sweden
Union representative: ST/TCO tco@fackorg.uu.se
Seko Universitetsklubben seko@uadm.uu.se
Saco-rådet saco@uadm.uu.se
Number of reference: UFV-PA 2023/2319
Last application date: 2023-07-31