PhD fellowship in Drug Delivery: Enabling oral delivery of macromolecules t

at  KU SUND Kbh

DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY, FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES (SUND), UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

The Department of Pharmacy is offering a three-year PhD fellowship in the Center for Biopharmaceuticals and Biobarriers in Drug Delivery (BioDelivery). The PhD fellowship is in collaboration with an industrial partner. 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 internal and external collaborators.
The fellowships are available from 1 March 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The demand for peptide and protein therapeutics that can be administered without injection is increasing. However, achieving sufficient systemic bioavailability through oral delivery of peptides and proteins is extremely difficult due to their susceptibility to degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and generally low permeability. Novel oral drug delivery systems thus may include functional excipients, such as permeability enhancers, co-formulated with the peptide/protein in the dosage form.
This interdisciplinary research project aims to investigate and understand the physico-chemical properties of the peptides to enable a rational formulation approach selection and supporting the choice and combination of excipients and manufacturing methods. Thus, the project will design and investigate effects of formulations with absorption enhancing functionality in terms of their effect on bioavailability enhancement and safety in preclinical models.

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, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, biomedicine, or the like prior to the starting date
• Fluency in English and excellent communication skills
• The ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment

Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with a background in pharmaceutical sciences, engineering, biochemistry, biomedicine, or the like. Experience in drug delivery of biopharmaceuticals, solid dosage forms, as well as with animal experiments will be preferred. Other relevant competencies are experience in quantitative analytical techniques as well as a critical sense for data interpretation. The candidate must be able to work independently but will 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.

• 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 projec