Post-doctoral Fellow in Ionisable Lipid Chemistry for Nucleic Acids Delivery
University of Hong Kong
- Department
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy (21300)
- Rank
- Postdoctoral
- Position type
- Full-time
- Reference
- 537603
- Start date
- As soon as possible
- Salary / grade
- Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
- Application deadline
- 31 Jan 2027
Duties & Responsibilities
- Design, synthesise and optimise novel ionisable lipids for lipid nanoparticle formulations with enhanced nucleic acid encapsulation and biocompatibility.
- Develop scale-up protocols for ionisable lipid candidates ensuring reproducibility and purity for formulation and testing.
- Characterise novel lipids using NMR, LC-MS, and HPLC to confirm structural identity, purity, and stability.
- Formulate and optimise lipid nanoparticles with newly synthesised ionisable lipids, tuning parameters to achieve target properties.
- Evaluate physicochemical properties of lipid nanoparticle formulations including size, polydispersity, zeta potential, and nucleic acid loading.
- Assess stability, biocompatibility, and nucleic acid delivery performance through in vitro assays.
- Investigate structure-function relationships between lipid chemistry and delivery efficiency to inform iterative design cycles.
- Collaborate with molecular biology and in vivo research teams to translate lipid chemistries into functional delivery platforms.
- Maintain detailed records of synthetic procedures, characterisation data, and formulation parameters for intellectual property development.
- Prepare technical reports, protocols, and contribute to manuscript and patent application writing.
- Collaborate with external partners on scale-up, synthesis, and quality control of lipid materials.
- Supervise and train junior chemists and students on lipid synthesis and characterisation methods.
- Disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications, patents, and conference presentations.
Requirements & Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related field with specialisation in lipid or organic synthesis.
- Proven track record of designing and synthesising novel lipids demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications or patents.
- Strong theoretical and practical grounding in lipid chemistry including structure-activity relationships for ionisable lipids.
- Hands-on expertise in designing and synthesising novel ionisable lipids including multi-step organic synthesis and purification.
- Proficiency in analytical characterisation methods including NMR, LC-MS, and HPLC.
- Experience formulating lipid nanoparticles with ionisable, helper, PEG, and cholesterol components.
- Competence in assessing lipid nanoparticle physicochemical properties using dynamic light scattering and related techniques.
- Experience evaluating nucleic acid loading efficiency and lipid nanoparticle stability under varying conditions.
- Familiarity with in vitro assays assessing delivery efficiency, cytotoxicity, and transfection performance.
- Ability to manage a research programme financially and administratively under principal investigator guidance.
- Ability to work independently with excellent problem-solving skills and ability to supervise students.
- High attention to detail in experimental design with willingness to adapt to new procedures.
- Excellent communication with command of written and spoken English.
- Capable of contributing to grant writing and funding applications.
- Proficient in IT skills for data management, analysis, and reporting.
Appointment
- Full-time, 1-year temporary contract (renewable subject to funding availability and project progress)
Key Dates
- Posted date: 2026-10-12
- Closing date: 2027-01-31