Postdoctoral Fellow - Pharmacology

Postdoctoral Researcher in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery

UTMB - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Job Description:

Functioning independently, the Postdoctoral Researcher in the Bonifazi’s lab. will design, organize and conduct highly specialized and advanced medicinal chemistry and in vitro pharmacology experiments; summarize findings and publish results in research journals; assume general responsibility for scientific operations of the laboratory; provide supervision and guidance to junior technicians, students, and researchers.

The primary research goals are directed toward the design, synthesis, and in vitro testing of small molecules as pharmacological tools for neuroscience applications and potential therapeutics targeting the central nervous system. We combine advanced organic chemistry methodologies and in vitro cell-based radioligand binding assays. These techniques allow us to synthesize, characterize and screen new compounds to generate structure-activity relationships (SAR). We believe in a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating nationally and internationally.

Essential Job Functions:

• Design and implement research protocols; design safety procedures; adapt new procedures, methods or instrumentation relative to research procedures.
• Oversee and perform organic chemistry procedures, including design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of medicinal compounds; performs quality control analysis of reagents, intermediates and final products; collect, prepare, and analyze research data.
• Perform chiral resolution of optically active compounds, and design appropriate stereospecific or stereoselective synthesis.
• Interpret data from biological assays to generate structure-activity relationships and design new generations of small molecules, accordingly.
• Interpret data from computational and structural biology studies to improve the compounds design.
• Excellent communication with collaborators.
• Search pertinent scientific database (i.e. SciFinder, Reaxys), and review scientific literature, as needed.
• Keep a detailed notebook summarizing experiments and recording research data; maintain computer database of research data; tabulate and display data for presentation in research conferences, manuscript preparation and grant application; use graphics and statistical software (i.e. ChemDraw and GraphPad Prism) to analyze and present data.
• Supervise other personnel in the laboratory to coordinate research efforts for increased efficiency; participate in training of fellows, students and volunteer workers as needed.
• Assist with ordering and procurement of supplies and equipment and with general maintenance of laboratory.

Required Education and Qualifications:

·     Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or closely related fields, with a focus on the design, synthesis, and development  of  new potential small molecule therapeutics.

·      Experience in collecting and analyzing NMR, HPLC and Mass Spectrometry data is required.

 Experience with cell cultures and radioligand biding assays, or closely related methodologies, is required.

SALARY:
Commensurate with experience.