Post-doctoral Fellow in Ionisable Lipid Chemistry for Nucleic Acids Delivery

We now invite applicants to join the JC STEM Lab of Nanomedicine for Advanced Therapy (PI: Professor Khuloud Al-Jamal) at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy. The aim of our lab is to use nanotechnology to better understand, diagnose and treat diseases with interests in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We are a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary lab eager to create an impact on people's lives taking research a step beyond the lab. Research projects we are looking to pursue are in the areas of extracellular vesicles & cell therapy, immunotherapy, nucleic acids therapeutics for brain cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, synthesise and optimise novel ionisable lipids for use in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations, focusing on structure-activity relationships that enhance nucleic acid encapsulation, endosomal escape, and biocompatibility.
• Develop scale-up protocols for new ionisable lipid candidates, ensuring reproducibility and purity suitable for downstream formulation and in vivo testing.
• Characterise novel lipids using analytical techniques such as NMR, LC-MS, and HPLC to confirm structural identity, purity, and stability.
• Formulate and optimise LNPs incorporating newly synthesised ionisable lipids alongside helper lipids, PEG-lipids, and cholesterol, tuning molar ratios and manufacturing parameters to achieve target particle size, encapsulation efficiency, and payload stability.
• Evaluate the physicochemical properties of LNP formulations, including size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and nucleic acid loading, using dynamic light scattering and related techniques.
• Assess the stability, biocompatibility, and nucleic acid delivery performance of new lipid-based LNPs through in vitro assays prior to in vivo evaluation.
• Investigate structure-function relationships between lipid chemistry and LNP delivery efficiency, informing iterative design cycles for next-generation ionisable lipids.
• Collaborate closely with molecular biology and in vivo research teams to translate novel lipid chemistries into functional LNP-based platform technologies for gene editing and nucleic acid therapeutics.
• Maintain detailed records of synthetic procedures, characterisation data, and formulation parameters to support intellectual property development and regulatory documentation.
• Prepare technical reports, protocols, and contribute to manuscript and patent application writing.
• Collaborate with external partners and vendors on scale-up, custom synthesis, and quality control of lipid materials.
• Supervise and train junior chemists, postgraduate students, or technical staff on lipid synthesis and characterisation methods.
• Disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications, patent filings, and conference presentations.

Requirements: 

Education and Expertise:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field, with a specialisation in lipid or organic synthesis.
• Proven track record of designing and synthesising novel lipid molecules, demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications or patents.
• Strong theoretical and practical grounding in lipid chemistry, including structure-activity relationships relevant to ionisable lipids. 

Research Skills:

• Hands-on expertise in the design and synthesis of novel ionisable lipids, including multi-step organic synthesis and purification techniques.
• Proficiency in analytical characterisation methods, including NMR, LC-MS, and HPLC, to confirm lipid structure, purity, and stability.
• Experience in formulating LNPs incorporating ionisable, helper, PEG, and cholesterol components, with the ability to tune molar ratios and process parameters.
• Competence in assessing LNP physicochemical properties, including particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency, using dynamic light scattering and related techniques.
• Experience in evaluating nucleic acid loading efficiency and LNP stability under varying storage and biological conditions.
• Familiarity with in vitro assays used to assess LNP delivery efficiency, cytotoxicity, and transfection or gene editing performance. 

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with high-throughput lipid screening platforms or combinatorial lipid library synthesis.
• Familiarity with microfluidic or other advanced LNP manufacturing techniques.
• Knowledge of structure-function modelling or computational tools to predict lipid behaviour and guide rational design.
• Experience with biophysical assays assessing endosomal escape efficiency or membrane interaction properties of lipids.
• Familiarity with regulatory or intellectual property considerations relevant to novel lipid excipients.
• Prior experience contributing to patent applications for proprietary lipid chemistries. 

Administrative and Collaborative Skills:

• Ability to manage a research programme financially and administratively under the guidance of the Principal Investigator.
• Ability to work independently with excellent problem-solving skills, collaborate within a team, and supervise students.
• High attention to detail in experimental design and execution with a willingness to adapt to new procedures and undergo further training as necessary. 

Language and Technical Competence:

• Excellent communication, command of written and spoken English.
• Capable of contributing to grant writing and funding applications.
• Proficient in IT skills for efficient data management and communication within the research programme including but not limited to the data management, analysis, and reporting. 

What We Offer:

The appointment will commence as soon as possible on a temporary basis for 1 year, with the possibility of renewal subject to and funding availability and project progress. A competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered. Other benefits include annual leave, medical benefits and free access to on-campus gyms and libraries. 

How to Apply:

The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply online at the University’s career site by clicking the 'Apply' button and upload an up-to-date C.V. Review of applications will start as soon as possible and continue until January 31, 2027, or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier. 

The University is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to equality, ethics, inclusivity, diversity and transparency