DRUGtrain is an EU MSCA-funded research training network that offers a timely paradigm for multidisciplinary research on the improvement of drug repurposing and development of compound strategies, with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) as an example. DRUGtrain offers innovative, multidisciplinary and intersectoral training to nine early stage researchers (ESR) introducing them to the field of drug repurposing and discovery to enhance career perspective in an expanding area that underpins innovative technological development across a range of diverse disciplines. Nine ESR research projects have been defined to address the following key challenges: Identifying potential drug targets and drug candidates for repurposing using innovative bio-informatics and cheminformatics approaches; performing drug tests/drug screenings in advanced in vitro and in vivo models, ultimately leading to testing of new treatment strategies; and clarifying drug mechanisms, and identifying and reducing adverse events using state-of-the-art technologies from in silico and wet lab methodologies. Six universities, four private sector companies and one non-governmental organization (NGO) will join forces to train a next generation of multidisciplinary researchers in biomedical and (bio)pharmaceutical sciences.

You will participate in key challenge number one: The identification of potential drug targets and drug candidates for repurposing using innovative bio-informatics and cheminformatics approaches. You will conduct original and novel research in AI and drug discovery. You publish and present scientific articles at international journals conferences, and contribute to educational activities. You will also engage in collaborations with colleagues across domains.

In short

·         You hold a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biology or equivalent

·         You will join DRUGtrain to identify potential drug targets and drug candidates for repurposing through innovative bio-informatics and cheminformatics approaches

·         You will be one of nine early stage researchers within the European project

You hold a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Biology or equivalent. You have good knowledge and experience with AI techniques. You are creative with a ‘making things work’ mentality. You are able to work independently , but a communicative team player as well. You have an excellent proficiency in English, both orally and written. To be eligible for recruitment, you must – at the date of recruitment – be within the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of your research career and not have a doctoral degree. You may be required to provide documentation proving your eligibility for recruitment. Lastly, you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (e.g. work, studies) in the country where you apply for more than twelve months in the three years immediately before your recruitment date. Holidays are not counted.

Fixed-term contract: 3 years.

You will be given an employment contract for the production of a PhD thesis for the duration of the program with a maximum of three years. The salary amounts to € 2,495 gross per month in the first year, up to € 3,050 in the last year with fulltime employment (scale Pro, CAO UMC).

LUMC

At the Leiden University Medical Center, we continuously work on improving patient care. We invest in groundbreaking, international research and work with the latest equipment. Together with our team of doctors, medical specialists, teachers, academic researchers and supporting staff, we aim for the best quality in health care, education and international research. And we need you to realize our goals!

the Department of Human Genetics at the LUMC and the Leiden Academic Center for Drug research at Leiden University

Your project involves an intense collaboration between the Department of Human Genetics at the LUMC and the Leiden Academic Center for Drug research at Leiden University. At the Department of Human Genetics the research group ‘Molecular basis of inherited kidney disorders and tissue regeneration’, led by prof. Dorien Peters, encompasses a multidisciplinary state-of-the art program to understand the mechanism and patho-physiology of polycystic kidney disease, aiming to develop therapeutic interventions. You will work in the Computational Drug Discovery group at Leiden University. This group, headed by prof. Gerard van Westen, applies computational techniques in the pre-clinical drug discovery process. The group has two main research lines. Firstly the application of artificial intelligence algorithms on biochemical data, and secondly the usage of structure- based methods based on atomic resolution structures (X-Ray or CryoEM).