PhD fellowship in Drug Delivery: Drug delivery systems tailored for barrier-impaired skin financed by LEO Foundation as part of LEO Foundation
The Department of Pharmacy is offering a three-year PhD fellowship in drug delivery to skin. The PhD fellowship is financed by the LEO Foundation as part of the LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery (LFCCDD) to which the project is affiliated. The successful applicant will be a member of the Drug Delivery and Biophysics of Biopharmaceuticals group and will have the opportunities for cross-disciplinary research in collaboration with the Center for Biopharmaceuticals and Biobarriers in Drug Delivery as well as external collaborators.
The fellowship is available from 15th September 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Project description
Topical treatment of a variety of skin diseases is advantageous compared to systemic therapies by directly targeting the affected site. However, a key challenge for the many patients with often severe and painful skin diseases like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis is to physically apply the drug onto the diseased sensitive skin and to cover all surfaces, including the “cracks” appearing as a result of the skin disease. The aim is to design new types of formulations that are compatible with application onto compromised skin while at the same time will display improved drug delivery capacity of the drug to the target site. The delivery system design should be tailored to be adaptable to different types of drug molecules, including hydrophilic peptide-based compounds. Design, characterization in vitro, as well as assessment in vivo will be done under the 3R-principles.
Principal supervisor
Professor Hanne Mørck Nielsen, Department of Pharmacy, e-mail: hanne.morck@sund.ku.dk, direct phone: +45 3533 6346
Our group and research
The LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery is located at Department of Pharmacy as is the Center for Biopharmaceuticals and Biobarriers in Drug Delivery. The student will be part of an international research group comprising three senior scientists, more than 10 junior researchers, as wells as several undergraduate and visiting students. We focus on the design and development of optimal drug delivery systems with a focus on biopharmaceuticals used to treat e.g. deficiencies in chronic diseases, as well as inflammatory and infectious diseases. Our research spans from physico-chemical and biophysical analysis, mechanistic investigations of interactions with biological membranes, and assessment of the efficacy in relevant cell culture models, tissue and animal models. We aim to gain and explore detailed, fundamental, and mechanistic understanding of the key challenges associated for the specific target disease.
Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions and a dynamic and international research environment. The mission of Department of Pharmacy is to advance the pharmaceutical sciences by performing drug-related research and research-based teaching in topics including pharmaceutical technology and formulation, drug delivery, advanced drug analysis, and clinical and social pharmacy.
Information about the Department can be found at https://pharmacy.ku.dk/
Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences are to:
- Carry through an independent research project under supervision
- Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS points
- Participate in active research environments including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
- Obtain experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Participate in the undergraduate teaching of students in pharmaceutical sciences
- Participate in national and international conferences and scientific meetings
- Write a PhD thesis on the grounds of your research project
Required qualifications
As an applicant you must have:
- Qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or related areas prior to the starting date
- Fluency in English and excellent communication skills
- The ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment
As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
Preferred qualifications
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a background in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or similar. Experience in drug delivery system design and preparation, polymer chemistry, handling ex vivo tissue and in vivo models, and histological techniques will be preferred. The candidate must be able to work independently, but shall also interact with a multidisciplinary project group involved in many aspects of studying and evaluating drug delivery. Extensive training in the relevant disciplines will be provided.
Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
- Relevant work experience
- Publications
- The grade point average achieved
- Other professional activities
- Language skills
- The successful applicant is also required to be enterprising and to possess good interpersonal skills
Terms of employment
The employment as PhD fellow is full time (average 37 hours per week) and for 3 years.
It is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences.
The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.
The PhD student is expected to be affiliated to the graduate programme in pharmaceutical sciences, Drug Research Academy.
Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary begins around DKK 27,800 (approx. 3,700 EUR) (taxable) plus pension (October 2021 level).
Questions
For further information, applicants may contact the principal supervisor Hanne Mørck Nielsen, e-mail: hanne.morck@sund.ku.dk, direct phone: +45 3533 6346 or PhD coordinator Marianne W. Jørgensen, e-mail: marianne.joergensen@sund.ku.dk, direct phone: +45 3533 6449.
General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/
For more information on working and living in Denmark visit http://ism.ku.dk (International staff mobility) and https://www.workindenmark.dk
Application procedure
Your application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking “Apply now” below and must include the following documents in PDF format:
- Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
- CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Diploma and transcripts of records: Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish (including grade transcripts for bachelor´s and master´s degrees). If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor will do. Applicants with a Master´s degree from abroad should also enclose a short description of the grading scale used. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
- Publication list (if possible)
- Other information to consider: References and recommendations (if possible)
The application deadline is 31 May 2022, 23.59 pm CET
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.
The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.
The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.
Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.
The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
Interviews are expected to be held in weeks 25-27 (from 24th June-8th July).
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences comprises approximately 7500 students, 1500 PhD students and 3200 employees. The Faculty advances the field of health sciences through its core activities: research, teaching, knowledge sharing and communication. With basic research fields ranging from molecular studies to studies of society, the Faculty contributes to a healthy future through its graduates, research findings and inventions benefitting patients and the community. The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
Info
Application deadline: 31-05-2022Employment start: 15-09-2022Working hours: Full timeDepartment/Location: Department of Pharmacy