Researcher at the SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Development Platform

Science Magazine

Science Magazine

Uppsala, Sweden
Posted on Feb 13, 2024

The Drug Discovery and Development platform at Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab DDD) is a national infrastructure for academic drug discovery that, together with academic scientists and in collaboration with the academic innovation systems has the goal of translating academic discoveries into drug candidates and commercialization. The platform has existed for nearly ten years, contributing to more than ten new startups and four compounds in clinical trials. Currently, SciLifeLab DDD is comprised of 48 staff distributed to six universities and runs projects in collaboration with academic principal investigators from all over Sweden. More information can be found at www.scilifelab.se/ , www.scilifelab.se/units/ddd-platform/ and www.scilifelab.se/external-relations/scilifelab-innovation-pharma-biotech/.

SciLifeLab DDD is now recruiting a computational chemist/ chemoinformatician researcher to be placed at the department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, in a collaboration with the Jens Carlsson research group at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. The main focus of the position is to bring state of the art knowledge of machine learning in drug discovery to the DDD platform. This will include actively searching for possible interactions and collaborations related to the topic. Examples of needs within ongoing projects within the DDD are predictions of pharmacological properties of binders from DNA-encoded libraries as well as predictions of properties of binders identified from phage display libraries. The applicant will be part of Jens Carlsson’s research group, which uses structure-based models to study the function of proteins at the molecular level and develops strategies to identify drug candidates using virtual screening. Visit the group website for more information (www.carlssonlab.org). More information about the department of Medicinal Chemistry can be found at www.ilk.uu.se.

Duties
The major duty is to provide expertise and knowledge in matters concerning chemoinformatics and machine learning into the DDD projects. The applicant is to identify and implement relevant methods in machine learning and chemoinformatics to support the drug discovery projects within the DDD platform. The methods can relate to topics within for example small molecule or oligonucleotide drug discovery as well as applications concerning structural predictions of proteins and protein-based therapeutics. The applicant is also expected to network within the SciLifeLab research community as well as with other research groups and organizations as a spokesperson for DDD to identify possible collaborations in the area of machine learning in drug discovery. We are working in projects together with researchers from the DDD and Academia and other research organisations.

Required qualifications
A PhD in computational chemistry, chemoinformatics or an area that is considered to be equivalent. Experience from machine learning. Communicative and good at establishing collaborations and implementing relevant technologies in a highly interdiciplinary context. Excellent written and oral knowledge of English is required.

Meritorious
Post doctoral experience of machine learning or chemoinformatics. Experience of drug discovery within the field of small molecules, oligonucleotides or biologics. An understanding of protein structures, structural bioinformatics and how to mine protein structure databases.

A general eligibility requirement is that the applicant must possess the personal capabilities necessary to fully carry out the duties of the appointment such as ability to communicate, motivation, collaborative skills and ability to prioritize.

The application must contain a short letter summarizing research interests/ expertise, CV, documented doctoral degree and contact information for at least two references.

About the employment
The employment is permanent, probationary employment can be applied. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 1 May 2024 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

For further information about the position, please contact: Head of Unit Ulrika Yngve, ulrika.yngve@scilifelab.uu.se or professor Jens Carlsson, jens.carlsson@icm.uu.se

Please submit your application by March 8 2024, UFV-PA 2024/406.

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Placement: Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Type of employment: Full time , Permanent position
Pay: Individual salary
Number of positions: 1
Working hours: 100%
Town: Uppsala
County: Uppsala län
Country: Sweden
Union representative: Seko Universitetsklubben seko@uadm.uu.se, ST/TCO tco@fackorg.uu.se, Saco-rådet saco@uadm.uu.se
Number of reference: UFV-PA 2024/406
Last application date: 2024-03-08

SciLifeLab is a national centre for large-scale biosciences with focus on health and environmental research. The centre combines advanced technical know-how and state-of-the-art equipment with a broad knowledge in translational medicine and molecular bioscience. SciLifeLab started out in 2010 as a joint effort between four universities: Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Uppsala University. Today, we support research activities at all major Swedish universities.