King's College London

About Us

King’s College London is one of the highest-ranking Universities in the UK and the World. You will be part of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science which is organised into four Departments that work together in toxicology and forensic science, the discovery of novel medicines & new formulations that can be evaluated in the clinic and providing a better understanding of how to optimise the use of existing medicines by patients and healthcare professionals.

You will join a collaborative group (Dr Vincenzo Abbate and Prof David Cowan) within the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and work closely with our colleagues at the Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London.

Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (IPS)

The IPS is organised into four Departments (Drug Discovery, Medicines Development, Medicines Use, and Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences) connected by cross-cutting themes in respiratory medicine, antimicrobial research, and cancer, that work together to use science to transform healthcare. Areas of strength span from molecules to the discovery of novel medicines and new formulations that can be evaluated clinically, as well as providing a better understanding of how to optimise the use of existing pharmaceuticals. In the 2022 QS World Rankings by subject (pharmacy and pharmacology), IPS was placed 17th. In the REF21 submission, IPS was returned within UoA3 (‘Allied Health, Nursing and Pharmacy’), resulting 1st in the UK. IPS has multiple clinical, industry and external partnerships. After the accreditation of King’s Health Partners (Academic Health Sciences Centre), IPS established a strategic partnership with Public Health England (to tackle key challenges associated with antimicrobial resistance) and joined three NHS trust pharmacy departments (Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) to form the effective Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Academic group.

About The Role

We seek to recruit a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences to undertake research in bioanalysis as part of the exciting Matriarch (MATeRnal InfAnt Reproductive & Child Health in Cystic Fibrosis) Strategic Research Centre grant https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/research/cystic-fibrosis-research-topics/matriarch-src-maternal-infant-reproductive-child-health-in . The ideal candidate will have expertise in developing, optimising and validating specific and sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based assays for samples in biological matrices.

The candidate will be required to perform hand-on sample extraction, and bioanalysis in biological fluids (serum, breast milk, dried blood samples), including but not limited to method development and validation according to published clinical standards, and evaluate/ interpret data outputs. The main analytes will be elexacaftor, ivacaftor and tezacaftor (“Kaftrio”) alongside their stable-isotope internal standards and bioactive metabolites.

In this role, the PDRA will be responsible for developing quantitative assays for drugs and metabolites in various biological fluids. The postholder will collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop innovative solutions for sampling and improved mass spectrometry quantification of selected analytes. The project will be hosted in the Franklin-Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus, King’s College London, but will also involve working with investigators across Imperial College London and the Royal Brompton Hospital. The role is at Postdoctoral Research level and requires candidates to hold a PhD/DPhil (or equivalent). The candidate will join a vibrant group of researchers in the Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, within the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine. It is expected that the results generated from the project will be published in high impact international, peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at national, or international meetings in the form of oral or poster presentation.

The candidate will report to Dr Vincenzo Abbate as line manager, and it is expected to integrate into Dr Abbate’s multidisciplinary research group. The candidate will have the opportunity to supervise postgraduate taught and research students undertaking their research projects. It is expected that the candidate will assist with future grant preparation as well as drafting scientific manuscripts.

This is a full-time position and you will be offered a 12 months fixed-term contract.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: 

Essential criteria

1. Hold a PhD or equivalent in Analytical Science, Chemistry or relevant disciplines 
2. First degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry or related discipline 
3. Experience in operating liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution (preferably Orbitrap) MS instruments and associated software, and/or sensitive Triple Quadrupole MS Instruments and associated software 
4. Experience in working with biological matrices (e.g., blood/plasma/serum) 
5. Experience in sample extraction technologies for analytes concentration and purification 
6. Proven ability to document work clearly and to present with impact and clarity to the research group 
7. Track record of high-quality publications in relevant areas
8. Strong organization and communication skills 

Desirable criteria

1. Experience in analysing drugs and metabolites from human breastmilk 
2. Competency in using computer software to collect and process data, e.g. use of Excel, statistical software and machine learning approaches. 
3. Experience in analysing drugs and metabolites from dried matrix spots 
4. Evidence of grant funding 
5. Experience of analysing pharmacokinetic data 

Downloading a copy of our Job Description 

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.