Postdoctoral Fellow: Nanoformulation

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Basel is an Academic Drug Discovery & Development Center, which comprehensively covers academic drug research throughout pre-clinical and clinical research phases.

The Nanopharmaceutical and Regulatory Sciences Group (NRSG) within the Department is searching for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow with an excellent background in drug formulation and cell biology.

Your position
Nanomedicine-based formulations have been used to deliver a wide variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients over the past several decades. These 'nanoformulations' can favorably alter a small molecule's pharmacokinetic profile and decrease adverse side effects. These advances, however, have not been readily applied to the area of Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT). ERT is the primary treatment strategy for lysosomal storage diseases, which have an incidence rate of approximately 1 in every 5000 live births. Unfortunately, the majority of patients on ERT will develop anti-drug antibodies within three months. The replacement enzymes are also not able to address the CNS manifestations of the disease, due to their inability to cross the blood-brain-barrier. Within the NRSG, we are developing a series of novel nano-based delivery platforms, and assessing their ability to improve the enzyme's pharmacokinetic, biodistribution and efficacy profiles.

Your profile
The candidate will be a scientist with a recent PhD or MD in a nano-related field (such as chemistry, pharmacology, cell biology, or medicine), and have relevant publications. The postdoctoral fellow will generate lipid-based formulations for ERT and then screen and evaluate these novel constructs under in vitro conditions. The candidate should be familiar with nanoparticle characterization methods, such as DLS and CAD/ELSD. Similarly, they should also be familiar with common techniques and assays in cell biology, such as tissue culture, enzyme kinetics, and fluorescence microscopy. This scientist will actively collaborate with colleagues in academia and industry in the fields of pharmacology and immunology. Fluency in English is required.

We offer you
The candidate will join and help develop a newly established research group that generates novel formulations for a variety of clinical indications. The NRSG emphasizes translational and regulatory sciences, ensuring that resulting drug products can quickly be brought into clinical trials. The initial contract will be for two years with the possibility of extension.