Postdoc in Molecular Pharmacology at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

We are looking for a highly motivated, skilled and dynamic postdoc for a 3-year position with start on 1 April 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The postdoc project is focused on the development and characterization of psychedelics with unique selectivity profiles between neuronal receptors.

Information on the department can be found at: https://drug.ku.dk/

The research
This post doc project is part of an ambitious collaborative research project funded by a Lundbeck Foundation Collaborative Project Grant between 7 PIs at University of Copenhagen, University of Helsinki and Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The project is highly interdisciplinary and multifaceted, and the project group comprises research groups with a broad range of expertise, including medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry/structural biology, molecular pharmacology, biochemistry, neuroscience, ex vivo/in vivo pharmacology and PET imaging.

The project arises from the recent pioneering discovery made by the University of Helsinki PIs that some psychedelic drugs in addition to their agonist activity at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor and other serotonergic/monoaminergic receptors act as positive allosteric modulators of the BDNF receptor TrkB (Moliner et al., Nat. Neurosci., 2023). The overall aims of this post doc project are to develop novel classes of ligands with selective action on TrkB over 5-HT2A, and vice versa, to study the molecular basis for and the modes of action of these ligands at the receptors, and to probe the therapeutic potential in selective modulation of 5-HT2A and TrkB receptors.

The post doc project will be performed in the research group headed by Professor Anders A. Jensen at University of Copenhagen. The overall research interests of the Jensen group are to identify and develop novel ligands for neurotransmitter receptors, to study the molecular basis and the mechanism of actions of these ligands at the receptors, and to explore the physiological functions governed by and the therapeutic potential in the receptors.

Your job
The post doc project will be performed in close collaboration with computational chemistry and medicinal chemistry post docs at University of Copenhagen and with the other research groups in the collaboration.

You will continue and elaborate on ongoing research activities focused on the 5-HT2A receptor in the group and in parallel establish the foundation for ligand development for and studies of TrkB by implementing implement various binding and functional assays for this receptor in cell lines. You will also delineate the binding and functional properties of known psychedelics and ligands developed in the project at 5-HT2A and TrkB and investigate the molecular determinants for their receptor activity and the molecular mechanisms underlying their receptor modulation. Finally, you will implement the culture of neurons and neuronal cell lines and study the effects of psychedelics and developed modulators on these.

You will be mentored by Anders A. Jensen and by other PIs in the project group. As the key person on this project in the Jensen group, you will work independently on some parts of the project, but you will also collaborate with other scientists in the project group on other project activities. During the project you will also spend some time in one of the other groups in the collaboration.

As a senior member of the Jensen group, you will take on various administrative and research-related responsibilities, including the supervision of students associated with this project. You will also be expected to do some teaching of bachelor and master students at University of Copenhagen.

For further information about the project and the post doc position, please feel free to contact Professor Anders A. Jensen; e-mail: [email protected]; www.sund.ku.dk

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experience:

Essential experience and skills:

• You have a PhD in molecular pharmacology or in a related field (molecular biology, biochemistry, etc.)
• You have an active interest in neuroscience research, drug discovery in an academic setting, and molecular pharmacology.
• You are experienced in studies of recombinant receptors in cell-based binding and functional assays.
• You have a positive approach to new challenges and can handle the adversity that inevitably will come during an ambitious project.
• You are able to work in teams as well as independently.
• Proficient communication skills and excellent English skills written and spoken.

Desirable experience and skills:

• A strong scientific track record, including publications within a research field related to this project.
• Target knowledge of 5-HT2A and/or TrkB receptors (or related receptors).
• Experience with studies of receptor signalling in cultured neurons and/or ex vivo studies of the effects of receptor modulators.
• Previous experience with ligand development, molecular biology, with mammalian cell line culture and/or with cellular assays similar to those in this project will be considered as strongholds in the candidate.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. The department is internationally recognized for its research within neuroscience and drug development. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week. The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 1 April 2024, or as soon as possible after that.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 36,400 DKK/approx. 4,800 EUR (October 2023 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. CV incl. education, work/research experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. A certified/signed copy of a) PhD certificate and b) Master of Science certificate. If the PhD is not completed, a written statement from the supervisor will do.
4. List of publications.

Deadline for applications: 18 January 2024, 23.59pm CET

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 the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 6.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk