• Exciting opportunity to work with the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics
• Located at the Brain and Mind Centre, Mallett St Campus, affiliated with the Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health
• Full-time, 2 year fixed term opportunity; base salary $73K - $98K p.a plus superannuation

About the opportunity 

The Lambert Initiative is an Australian first in the field of medicinal cannabinoids. We are targeting a range of conditions including paediatric epilepsy, cancer, chronic pain, obesity, neurological, and mental health disorders.

Our aim is to optimise safe and effective cannabinoid therapeutics for mainstream medicine in Australia and beyond to deliver long overdue benefits for patients and to alleviate suffering.

We are now seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Medicinal Chemistry who will be responsible for the development of new phytocannabinoids, related natural products, and their derivatives, for assay in various cellular and rodent systems.

In addition to this, the Postdoctoral Research Associate will also have responsibility for:

• designing new molecules based on pharmacological data and structure-activity relationships
• inventory of new molecules in our internal drug discovery software following quality control processes
• assisting with the sourcing and procurement of reactants and reagents
• contributing to the writing of project proposals, research grants, patents, and scientific papers.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate who has:

• BSc (Honours) or equivalent and PhD in Synthetic Organic or Medicinal Chemistry
• a high level of technical experience in modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques for air- and water-sensitive reactions, including synthetic route selection and systematic troubleshooting
• experience in confirmation of structure and purity of small molecules using modern analytical techniques, including but not limited to chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, and infrared spectroscopy
• strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate (written and oral) with scientists from diverse fields and backgrounds
• excellent organisational and time management skills
• track record of publications in leading international peer-reviewed journals
• experience conducting research in the fields of synthetic methodology and/or the total synthesis of natural products
• demonstrated ability to rationally design small molecule chemical libraries to probe a target or system based on pertinent biological data, and multiparameter optimization of lead structures en route to clinical candidates

Experience in any of the following areas would also be advantageous:

• areas complementary to synthetic and medicinal chemistry including cheminformatics and computational chemistry, structural biology, cellular pharmacology, and animal models of disease
• evidence of success in competitive grant or fellowship applications
• knowledge of the commercialisation process for small molecules with biological activity in human disease (the therapeutic drug development process).

About us

The Discipline of Pharmacology of the University of Sydney is the largest of its kind in Australia, with an extensive range of research programs and well equipped undergraduate teaching facilities. There is a strong and growing research environment in the Discipline of Pharmacology covering a range of research areas including neuropharmacology, pharmacogenetics, pharmacoinformatics and medicinal chemistry, as well as molecular, respiratory, cancer and clinical pharmacology.

Since our inception 160 years ago, the University of Sydney has led to improve the world around us. We believe in education for all and that effective leadership makes lives better. These same values are reflected in our approach to diversity and inclusion, and underpin our long-term strategy for growth. We’re Australia's first university and have an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. Across our campuses, we employ over 7600 academic and non-academic staff who support over 60,000 students.

We are undergoing significant transformative change which brings opportunity for innovation, progressive thinking, breaking with convention, challenging the status quo, and improving the world around us.

How to apply

For more information on the position and University, please view the candidate information pack available from the job’s listing on the University of Sydney careers website.

All applications must be submitted via the University of Sydney careers website. Visit sydney.edu.au/recruitment and search by the reference number 2450/1218F to apply.

Closing date: 11.30pm Sydney Time, Thursday 21 February 2019

The University of Sydney is committed to diversity and social inclusion. Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged.

© The University of Sydney

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.