College

Medicine & Health

School/Research Institute/Centre/Unit

School of Pharmacy

Post Title

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Project

GENEGUT- Oral delivery of encapsulated RNA nanotherapeutics for targeted treatment of ileal Crohn's disease

Name of Principal Investigator /Reports to

Prof Caitriona O’Driscoll

Salary pa

€45,847-55,282 depending on experience

Post Duration

1.5 years

Position Summary

Postdoctoral Researcher position in intestinal delivery of therapeutic RNA – Pharmacodelivery Group, at the School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Ireland. The postion is part of GENEGUT, a Research & Innovation project funded by the European Union. https://genegut.eu/

Position summary: We are looking for an exceptionally enthusiastic, creative, and driven Postdoctoral Researcher with a passion for interdisciplinary science and a desire to apply their unique talents to high-impact work aimed at improving human health, to join the dynamic drug delivery groups of Professor Caitriona O’Driscoll and Dr. Piotr Kowalski at the School of Pharmacy at UCC. Their research spans multiple disciplines which will allow candidates to develop skills in a variety of areas including; RNA delivery, formulation and characterization of targeted nano-delivery systems, and gene therapy.

The project is part of the GENEGUT (https://genegut.eu/) consortium funded by the European Commission as a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA), (HORIZON-HLTH-2021-TOOL-06). Genegut has 9 partners from 8 different European countries. The consortium includes 4 academic groups, 3 industrial partners and a  patient organization. The aim of the project is to design a first in class oral medicine for local intestinal delivery of siRNA and mRNA to treat ileal Crohn’s disease. A range of novel biomaterials will be synthesized and used to complex RNA into nanoparticles enabling RNA stability and enhanced efficacy in the hostile gut environment. A range of innovative in vitro and in vivo models will be established to assess safey and efficacy of the prototype products.

Successful candidates will work in a cross-disciplinary research team interacting with all the Genegut partners comprising of drug delivery scientists, RNA biologist, materials scientists, bioengineers, health economists and clinical scientists.

• Candidates with a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, biopharmaceutical sciences, biomedical and chemical engineering or a related field are highly encouraged to apply.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas will be desirable:  design, formulation and characterization of nano drug delivery systems, biomaterials, oral drug delivery, biological barriers to nucleic acid delivery, cell culture and animal work.
• Evidence of peer-reviewed publications in international scientific journals
• Prior practical laboratory experience and the capability to work independently.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to contribute in a multidisciplinary team setting
• Excellent oral/written communication skills
• Availability to start in Summer 2025 will be an advantage.

About Professor Caitriona O’Driscoll (PI):   Originally a Pharmacist, Caitriona is Professor and Chair of Pharmaceutics in the School of Pharmacy at UCC and has over 30 years experience as a drug delivery scientist. Her research is focused on the design and delivery of RNA therapeutics for chronic conditions including Crohn’s disease, prostate cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Targeted delivery to diseased sites is achieved by a non-viral approach using novel biomaterials including modified cyclodextrins. Caitriona is the Director of the UCC Future Medicines research initiative and is the coordinator of GENEGUT, a Horizon Europe funded project https://genegut.eu/

About Dr. Piotr S. Kowalski (PI):  Dr Kowalski is biochemist by training with a passion for interdisciplinary biomedical research. He completed his scientific training in five different countries, including Poland (Jagiellonian University), the Netherlands (Groningen University), and USA (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Piotr has 12 years of mentoring, teaching, and leadership experience both in academic and industrial settings. His work resulted in the invention of four patents on drug delivery technologies, and the creation of a Cambridge-based biotech startup. He have recently won a highly prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting grant and is member of the GENEGUT EU consortium, https://genegut.eu/

About University College Cork: UCC is a leading Irish university with an international reputation in innovation, and entrepreneurship. It is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide based on the quality of its research outputs and peer esteem indicators and was the first University to be named The Sunday Times University of the Year for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). UCC has a vibrant research community of almost 3,500 postgraduate students and over 250 postdoctoral researchers, across all the major academic disciplines. UCC has active postdoctoral associations and programs that aim to provide support for all aspects of a postdoc’s career, including professional development training and everyday work. UCC is the host and partner of leading Irish research centers, including APC Microbiome Ireland SFI Research Centre and Tyndall National Institute providing the access to state-of-the-art research expertise and core facilities.  

The School of Pharmacy (SOP) UCC is part of the College of Medicine and Health. It is a purpose-built (2008) facility adjacent to 3 teaching hospitals including Cork University Hospital. In 2024, ranked Top 100 of QS World University Subject Rankings in ‘Pharmacy & Pharmacology’. Holder of Athena Swan Bronze Award.  The SOP current has 60 PhD students registered. Staff have received funding from several National (HRB, Research Ireland, IRC, Philanthropy) and international funding agencies including Horizon Europe, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Innovative Training Networks (ITNs), European Research Council (ERC) and Gates Foundation.

Cork and the surrounding region has become an important European hub for (bio)pharmaceutical industry and most of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies are located in the region including Janssen, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Merck/MSD, Gilead, Biomarin, Sanofi , GSK, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The School has a strong tradition of research collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry and research projects are frequently funded via these academic-industry collaborations.

Key Duties and Responsibilites

This title will apply to newly qualified Post-Doctoral Researchers and will be considered as a period of training as the researcher will have dual goals in terms of the research project and their own career development.  The researcher will be mentored by a Principal Investigator (PI).  It is expected that a researcher would spend not more than 3 years at the Post Doctoral level, subject to the term of the project and would then be eligible to compete for a Senior Post Doctoral post advertised by the University.

The primary focus of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be research however a particular emphasis during this stage should include;

• To conduct a specified programme of research under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator/Project Leader.
• To engage in appropriate training and professional development opportunities as required by the Principal Investigator, School or College in order to develop research skills and competencies.
• To gain experience in grant writing.
• To engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which they are engaged, as directed by, with the support of and under the supervision of a Principal Investigator.
• To become familiar with the publication process.
• To acquire generic and transferable skills (including project management, business skills and postgraduate mentoring/supervision).
• To engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of the research group, School or College.
• To interact closely with postgraduate research students who are studying for a Masters or a PhD and possibly have an agreed role in supporting these students in their day to day research in conjunction with an academic supervisor.
• To carry out administrative work to support the programme of research.
• To carry out additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.
• To contribute to costing research grant proposals and assist in the financial management of a research project.

College

Medicine & Health

School/Research Institute/Centre/Unit

School of Pharmacy

Post Title

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Project

All-island Vaccine Research and Training Alliance (AIVRT)

Name of Principal Investigator /Reports to

Prof Laura Sahm

Salary pa

€45,847 - €48,412

Post Duration

12 months 0.5 FTE

Position Summary

AIVRT hub brings together researchers from, UCD, QUB, UCC and TCD in an ambitious four-year alliance to better human health through vaccination and to train the next generation of all-island researchers in vaccine design, development, testing and deployment research.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is among the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity (World Health Organisation, WHO). AMR bacteria cause death, disability, prolonged illness, longer hospitalisation and increased healthcare costs. Few antimicrobial options exist to treat AMR infections. Vaccination is the paramount medical intervention in human history to fight infection. Vaccines, unlike antibiotics, do not select for antimicrobial resistance, hence hold the key to overcome AMR infections and reduce antibiotic usage.

This position will be aligned to Work Package 5.  

Develop Tailored Interventions to Address Vaccine Uptake across the Island of Ireland

This project will use a mixed-methods approach to examine how individuals’ capabilities, opportunities, and motivations influence their decision-making behaviour, and how the setting including societal, community, sociodemographic factors, and healthcare service impact on vaccine confidence and complacency. We will use the Intervention Mapping to identify interventions for subsequent implementation that will improve vaccine uptake in key populations across the island of Ireland. This will support ongoing Doctoral research to (i) Identify determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake (ii) Prioritise existing interventions to increase vaccine coverage (iii): Identify behaviour-based determinants in vaccine decision-making across the island and (iv) Tailor interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccine.

Our aim is to develop a set of implementable guidelines to aid national and regional health authorities to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake. 

This will improve population-based protection against infectious disease across the island of Ireland. 

Key Duties and Responsibilites

This title will apply to newly qualified Post-Doctoral Researchers and will be considered as a period of training as the researcher will have dual goals in terms of the research project and their own career development.  The researcher will be mentored by a Principal Investigator (PI).  It is expected that a researcher would spend not more than 3 years at the Post Doctoral level, subject to the term of the project and would then be eligible to compete for a Senior Post Doctoral post advertised by the University.

The primary focus of the Postdoctoral Researcher will be research however a particular emphasis during this stage should include;

• To conduct a specified programme of research under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator/Project Leader.
• To engage in appropriate training and professional development opportunities as required by the Principal Investigator, School or College in order to develop research skills and competencies.
• To gain experience in grant writing.
• To engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which they are engaged, as directed by, with the support of and under the supervision of a Principal Investigator.
• To become familiar with the publication process.To acquire generic and transferable skills (including project management, business skills and postgraduate mentoring/supervision).
• To engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of the research group, School or College.
• To interact closely with postgraduate research students who are studying for a Masters or a PhD and possibly have an agreed role in supporting these students in their day to day research in conjunction with an academic supervisor.
• To carry out administrative work to support the programme of research.
• To carry out additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post.
• To contribute to costing research grant proposals and assist in the financial management of a research project.