PhD positions in GENEGUT

The GENEGUT consortium is currently recruiting highly motivated PhD candidates.
Find the open positions below: 

1 PhD Position in “Site Specific Delivery of RNA Therapies in the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract”

The School of Pharmacy at the University College Cork, Ireland is currently recruiting a fully funded PhD studentship under the GENEGUT Research and Innovation Action.

The PhD project at UCC will focus on the challenge of oral delivery of gene therapy to the terminal ileum, which aims to maximise the bio-accessibility and minimise systemic side-effects of RNA therapy. Furthermore, this project will provide proof of concept for localised, site specific delivery of NPs in a suitable preclinical pig model, which is widely regarded as comparable to human physiology. The pig is considered to be the most suitable non-primate animal model since it resembles the human better than any other non-primate. The successful candidate will also be involved in establishment and validation of an in vivo pig model of intestinal inflammation seen in Crohn’s Disease.

About the candidate

The successful candidate will be exceptionally enthusiastic, creative, and driven with a passion for interdisciplinary science and translational research and have a desire to apply their talents to high-impact work aimed at improving patient outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

  • Applicants must have a first class or upper second-class honours degree in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences or related disciplines e.g. Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology.
  • M.Sc. degree is desirable but not essential.
  • Prospective Ph.D. students should have prior practical laboratory experience.
  • Prior experience with in vivo animal models is desirable but not essential.
  • Applicants must all meet UCC eligibility requirements for registration as a PhD student.

     

To apply and for further information click the link below:

2 PhD Positions in “Oral delivery of RNA therapeutics using novel biomaterials”

The School of Pharmacy at the University College Cork, Ireland is currently recruiting two wo highly motivated candidates who will join the the O’Driscoll Pharmacodelivery group and Kowalski lab for smart drug delivery technologies. The two PhD positions are fully funded under the GENEGUT Research and Innovation Action.

These PhD projects will focus on the design of nano formulations containing a range of RNA cargos including short interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA). The formulations will be engineered using novel biomaterials based mainly on functionalised cyclodextrins (O’Driscoll lab) and novel polymers (Kowalski lab).

About the candidate

The successful candidate will be exceptionally enthusiastic, creative, and driven with a passion for interdisciplinary science and translational research and have a desire to apply their talents to high-impact work aimed at improving patient outcomes.

Eligibility criteria

  • Applicants must have a first class or upper second-class honours degree in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering or related disciplines e.g. Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology.
  • M.Sc. degree is desirable but not essential.
  • Prospective Ph.D. students should have prior practical laboratory experience.
  • Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and excellent oral/written communication skills.
  • Experience in one or more of the following areas will be beneficial but is not required: RNA and drug delivery, anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, formulation and preparation of nanoparticles, cyclodextrin/ polymer chemistry, intestinal cell culture models and animal work
  • Applicants must all meet UCC eligibility requirements for registration as a PhD student.

To apply and for further information click the link below: