Marie Sklodowska-Curie DN DC3 (761749)

We wish to recruit an outstanding Doctoral Candidate who is passionate about scientific research, has great enthusiasm for the incredible contributions that synthetic polymers make to disease diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring, and who is excited by the opportunity to work collaboratively as a polymer chemist in a large European research net.

Contract Type: Fixed Term (36 months)
FTE: 35 hours/week

At the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, we have a keen interest in the design and synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and advanced affinity polymers that are able to capture protein and protein-derived (i.e., peptide) biomarkers of disease, as well as other biomarkers of disease, from complex biological fluids for the purposes of disease diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring. The primary task of the Strathclyde group in the MIPrecise Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA DN) is to design, synthesize, and characterize novel organic polymers that have affinity and selectivity for cancer biomarkers and to work collaboratively with MIPrecise partners on the exploitation of the new polymers that are developed. In respect of the very aggressive disease of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), we wish to build upon and extend very successful collaborative work with the University of Oslo through the development of unique affinity tools that fill a gap in biomarker specific assays for SCLC and facilitate remote sampling. 13 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) will be recruited by the MIPrecise DN, and two of the DCs will be based at Strathclyde (DC3 and DC11).

A range of polymer formats will be targeted, including MIPs in physical formats that are optimised for the enrichment of low abundant peptides in state-of-the-art, miniaturized chemical separations, magnetic formats for magnetic capture platforms and trap columns. DC3 will be engaged primarily on research lines revolving around molecularly imprinted materials, whereas DC11 will be engaged primarily on research lines where the affinity and selectivity of the polymers arise through synthetic methodologies other than template-directed synthesis. However, DC3 and DC11 will work alongside one another in the same research laboratory and work collaboratively with the other 11 MIPrecise DCs.

In addition to the extensive practical and theoretical training in polymer chemistry on offer at Strathclyde, and the hands-on training that will be delivered by MIPrecise partners through overseas secondments in academic and industrial environments, the Strathclyde DCs will be registered for and complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PG Cert RPD) alongside their PhD research studies. The PG Cert RPD is the first UK academic award to recognise and reward the transferable array of skills and experiences developed during PhD research; it provides a framework to plan and record the key competencies, achievements and behaviours of successful DCs.

Formal online interviews for this post will be held on Tuesday, 16 December 2025.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Professor Peter Cormack, Professor of Polymer Chemistry and Head of Materials & Computational Chemistry at Strathclyde (Peter.Cormack@strath.ac.uk).

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