Ph.D position in Targeted Radiotheranostic Pharmaceuticals

Would you like to do research in the exciting and rapidly growing field of radiopharmaceutical development for cancer treatment? A Ph.D. position in chemistry is currently available at the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Pharmacy. 

Project background
This Ph.D. project is one out of three Ph.D. projects funded by a Synergy grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (“Image and Destroy: New Radionuclides for Cancer Theranostics”). It is part of a collaboration with the Preclinical Research Group at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital (Dr Helge Thisgaard), and with a group at Dublin City University in Ireland specializing in medicinal inorganic chemistry (Prof. Andrew Kellett). The team is multidisciplinary with expertise in chemistry, radiochemistry, nuclear physics, biomedicine, and molecular biology. We are primarily focused on developing and evaluating new radiopharmaceuticals for PET-imaging and receptor-targeted precision radiotherapies of cancer using unconventional radionuclides. The work spans from chemical synthesis, radioactive isotope preparation and radiolabeling, to in vitro cell testing and ultimately small animal testing for any highly promising leads. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Development of new radiopharmaceuticals for targeted radionuclide therapy of brain cancer.
• Synthesis and characterization (NMR, IR, MS, X-ray diffraction etc) of chelators suitable for binding radioactive theranostic isotope pairs of metal ions (Sb, Co, Cu, Ga) and their cold complexes.
• Synthesis and purification of peptides using solid support methods and linking them to the new chelators.
• Assist in designing strategies for radiolabelling.

Qualifications
We are looking for a candidate with a strong interest in working on the boundary between inorganic chemistry, chemical biology and nuclear physics. The candidate will hold a M.Sc. in chemistry. Previous experience with one or more of the following is considered an advantage: molecular inorganic/organometallic synthesis and characterization, and peptide synthesis. We expect good interpersonal and communication skills (English) for effective teamwork across disciplines.

Starting date: 15th of September, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy is one of four departments at the Faculty of Science at SDU and is located in Odense. The department focusses on basic research and move beyond traditional disciplines to develop new technologies and sciences across physics, chemistry, pharmacy, mathematics, computer science and biology. The department’s research contributes to new knowledge and solutions with applications in the areas of climate, environment, energy, and health.
The Ph.D. candidate will be part of the Section for Chemistry and Pharmacy. 

Application deadline: 15 August 2024 at 23:59 hours local Danish time 

Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk