Research Associate (642005)

A PDRA position is open on the EPSRC funded project 'Using microheterogeneous binary solvent systems for particle property control. The successful candidate will work on elucidating the effect of microscale demixing in solvent mixtures on particle size distribution and particle shape, and work towards translation of this method to scale-up.

Fixed Term (15 months)

A postdoctoral Research Associate position is available in the group of Prof. Katharina Edkins at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) at the University of Strathclyde. Prof. Edkins leads a group investigating the connection between supramolecular interactions in the solution/amorphous phase before crystallisation and the resulting crystalline material with the aim to predict the crystallisation outcome of an experiment before performing it. The group is aligned to the major national EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (CMAC; www.cmac.ac.uk) and as such benefits from access to world class crystallisation and analytical facilities in a community of cross-disciplinary postgraduate and post-doctoral researchers looking at various aspects of crystallisation, secondary manufacturing, and advanced solid-state analysis.

This position is part of an EPSRC grant for the special call ‘Accelerating the Medicines Revolution’. The project entitled ‘Using microheterogeneous binary solvent systems for particle property control’ will investigate how thermodynamic micro-phase separation (microheterogeneity) in binary solvent mixtures influence the particle size and shape of crystalline materials. We will crystallise pharmaceutically relevant model compounds ranging from small organic molecules to new modalities from mixtures of acetonitrile and water at different mixing ratios and characterise the obtained crystalline products in terms of their particle shape and size distribution. We hypothesise that the particle shape and size distribution will be templated by the microconfinement given by the microheterogeneity. Once proven, we will work with our industrial partner AstraZeneca to show that the method can be scaled up to industrially relevant scales, and potentially work in continuous crystallisation as well.

The successful candidate will conduct their own research project as well as support two PhD students in their related research projects. The candidate will further support the research group in day-to-day running, publish high-impact peer-reviewed papers, and represent the group at national and international conferences and workshops. The ability to work independently as well as within a project teams will be essential. The candidate must also have demonstrable analytical writing experience and publication record.

The successful candidate should hold a PhD degree or equivalent or is in the process of obtaining this qualification. Furthermore, the candidate should hold a good first degree in Chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science or related discipline. Relevant experience in particle characterisation, crystallisation, and solid-state analytical tools are essential. Experience in solution characterisation tools such as NMR and FTIR as well as total scattering experiments are highly desirable.

SIPBS is one of the UK’s leading research institutes in pharmaceutical and biomedical science with a 4* research environment rating from REF2021. The institute is an integrated research facility covering a broad spectrum of research areas ranging from microbiology to drug delivery. This position will be multidisciplinary in its nature and there will be significant opportunities to interact with scientists from other disciplines through alignment with the EPSRC Centre for Continuous Manufacture and Crystallisation.

For further information and informal enquiries please contact Prof. Katharina Edkins (katharina.edkins@strath.ac.uk).

Formal interviews will be held in September 2024.

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