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Ph.D. positions available - Laboratory for smart drug delivery technologies at UCC School of Pharmacy
Wanted: Enthusiastic, creative, and driven Ph.D. candidates with a passion for interdisciplinary science and a desire to apply their unique talents to high-impact work aimed at improving human health, to a newly established laboratory at the School of Pharmacy at UCC.
The current project focuses on engineering RNA-based therapeutics for the treatment of sepsis and is supported by a 4-year Emerging Investigator Award for Health (Health Research Board). This project aims to explore the therapeutic potential of RNA molecules (such as short interfering RNAs and messenger RNAs) to treat and prevent multiple organ failure during sepsis. It will also develop new polymers and nano-sized particles to deliver these new class of RNA-based drugs to cells in the lungs and kidneys. Successful candidates will work closely with a cross-disciplinary team of collaborators comprised of immunologists, vascular biologist and clinical scientists.
- Candidates with a Master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology or a related field are highly encouraged to apply.
- Prospective Ph.D. students should have prior practical laboratory experience.
- Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and excellent oral/written communication skills.
- Experience in one or more of the following areas will be beneficial but is not required: animal work, drug delivery, chemical synthesis, immunology, synthetic biology, and bioinformatics.
- Availability to start in summer 2020 will be an advantage.
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Successful candidates will receive stipend of €18,000 per annum (tax exempt) for four years plus registration fees (at EU level)
Interested candidates should send their CV, including contact details to at least two referees, and a cover letter via email to piotr.kowalski@ucc.ie.
About Dr. Piotr S. Kowalski (PI): I am a biochemist by training with a passion for interdisciplinary biomedical research and entrepreneurship. I have completed my scientific training in five different countries, including Poland (Jagiellonian University), Netherlands (Groningen University) and USA (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). I have 10 years of mentoring, teaching, and leadership experience both in academic and industrial settings. my current work resulted in over twenty published research articles, the invention of several patents on drug delivery technologies, and the creation of a Cambridge based biotech startup.