PhD fellowship in peptide delivery systems and their biological consequences in skin pharmacology

Department of Pharmacy

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND)

University of Copenhagen

The Department of Pharmacy is offering a three-year PhD fellowship to investigate the use of cubosomes for delivery of host defence peptides through the skin. The PhD project will be carried out within the recently established LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery (LFCCDD), which integrates several disciplines, including molecular biology, immunology, microbiology, physical chemistry, peptidomics and pharmaceutics, to perform state-of-the-art research and to create innovative solutions within cutaneous drug delivery of both small and large molecules. The successful applicant will be a member of the Novel Biological Models group and will have the opportunity for cross-disciplinary research in collaboration with the other sections of the Center as well as external collaborators.

The fellowship is available from the December 1, 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Project description

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial relapsing inflammatory skin disease affecting 15-30% of children and 2-10% of adults worldwide.The presence of Staphylococcus aureus has been shown to precede flares in AD patients and exacerbate disease state through several immune-mediated mechanisms. In the lesions of these patients, protease activity is aberrant and protease-induced decreased levels of antimicrobial peptides are a popular explanation for the observed increased susceptibility to infection. Therefore, in this project we will investigate the use of host defence peptides (HDPs) as novel drug candidates for AD infections, to target both infection and inflammation. To facilitate skin penetration by these peptides, the use of delivery systems is essential. For that reason, we will optimise the formulation of HDPs in cubosomes and use these to establish a range of in vitro assays suitable for increasing our understanding of the immunological and microbiological consequences of deeper skin penetration by HDPs.

Supervisors
Principal supervisor: Associate Professor Mariena J.A. van der Plas, e-mail: [email protected]  

Co-supervisor: Professor Martin Malmsten, e-mail: martin.malmsten @sund.ku.dk  

Your job

Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at the Faculty are to:

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Write scientific manuscripts and the PhD thesis on the grounds of your research project
• Complete PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS points
• Obtain experience with teaching and 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
• Stay at an external research institution, preferably abroad
• Participate in all Center activities

Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual with the following competencies and experience:

Required qualifications

As an applicant you must have:

• Obtained a relevant Master´s degree prior to the starting date
• Fluency in English and excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• The ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
• The ability to travel for performing experiments at collaborators.

Preferred qualifications

The ideal candidate for this project has extensive hands-on experience with cubosome (or other types of nanoparticle) formulation and characterisation, as well as cell culturing assays and antimicrobial assays. Experience with 2D and 3D skin models, histology, microscopy and HPLC is an advantage.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD programme
• Relevant work experience
• Previous publications
• The grade point average achieved
• Other professional activities and achievements
• Language skills

Terms of employment

The employment as PhD fellow is full time 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 27,780 (approx. 3,735 EUR) (taxable) plus pension (April 2021 level).

Application procedure

Your online application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Your application must include following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

• Cover letter (approx. 1 page) describing your background, qualifications, interest and motivation for applying for this position
• Full CV
• 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. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.

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.

Applicants with a Master´s degree from abroad should also enclose a short description of the grading scale used

• Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications and relevant certificates
• Names and contact details of references and/or recommendation letters

Deadline for application

September 22, 2021, 23:59 GMT+1. Please note that only online applications will be accepted.
Applications received later than this date, or which do not live up to the abovementioned requirements, will not be considered.

Post application procedure

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorised 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.

Interviews are expected to be held in October.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Questions

For further information, applicants may contact supervisor Mariena van der Plas at  [email protected] , or PhD administrator Marianne W. Jørgensen, e-mail: [email protected] , phone: +45 35 33 64 49.

For more information on working and living in Denmark visit http://ism.ku.dk (International staff mobility) and https://www.workindenmark.dk

University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation. Appointment will be based on merit alone.

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.