PhD fellowship in Organic Chemistry

PhD Project in synthesis of ligands for cannabinoid receptor CB1-CB2

The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science at University of Copenhagen invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Organic Chemistry. The project is part of the research project “Control of cannabinoid receptor CB1-CB2/5-HT homo-/hetero-dimerization with INAIC ligands”, which is financed by Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond (DFF).

Start dates are 1 May 2025 or as soon as possible after acceptance.

The project
The project will focus on synthesis and investigation of a novel class of compounds accessible through stereo-selective intramolecular INAIC – click reaction for regulation of chronic pain via the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The synthesis will be performed on solid-support and screening for active agonists will be performed via a gene reporter assay developed specifically for the CB1 receptor.

Who are we looking for?
Applicants should hold an MSc degree in Chemistry with good results and be highly confident in written and spoken English. The candidates should be able to work independently and strive towards scientific excellence, be ambitious and hard-working. Only applicants who seek to be among the brightest in their field and do science at the highest international level will be considered. The candidates should have excellent skills in organic synthesis with at least 2-3 years of laboratory experience, particularly with peptide synthesis. Experience in solid-phase chemistry will be highly valued. As criteria for the assessment of your qualifications, emphasis will also be laid on previous publications (if any) and relevant work experience with NMR, conformational studies, receptor expression in cells.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The group is located at the Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology section, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. The group is also part of the Nanoscience Center. We are an international research group of about 8 members situated in the center of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions and our research facilities possess all the infrastructure necessary for the work. Students will gain insightful knowledge in synthesis, including organic, peptide and solid-phase chemistry, computational modeling, receptor expression.

Principal supervisor is Professor Morten Meldal, Department of Chemistry, [email protected], Direct Phone: +4521308299.

The PhD programme

A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree. Candidates without such qualifications will not be considered.

Qualifications needed for the programme
To be eligible for the PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Organic Chemistry. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision 
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad in collaborative programs
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in organic chemistry and peptides
• Good language skills

Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page), stating which PhD project you are applying for
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
4. Publication list (if available)
5. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline
The deadline for applications is 17 February 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held during weeks 13-14 of 2025.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowships, please contact the principal supervisor (Professor Morten Meldal, Department of Chemistry, [email protected], Direct Phone: +4521308299).

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.