The University Ramon Llull is a confederation of schools, faculties and departments. IQS is its oldest founding member and consists of two major schools, the School of Engineering and the School of Management that form each an administrative grouping of departments and other institutions among which there are three strategic academic divisions: IQS Executive Education that offers cutting-edge and transformative learning experiences to business leaders; IQS Tech Transfer that promotes research with impact, innovation and technology transfer for companies and organizations and IQS Tech Factory that fosters entrepreneurship and supports the creation of new scientific-technological companies.
With 100 years of teaching experience, IQS is a university center of reference, committed to donating responses to the continuum of challenges that the social, economic, technological and industrial context poses.
Our mission and commitment are to cultivate individuals with values and competencies needed to flourish humanely and professionally.
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate willing to pursue a PhD in our young and dynamic ChemSynBio team at IQS School of Engineering - Ramon Llull University in Barcelona!
Group
At ChemSynBio (www.chemsynbio.iqs.edu), we harness chemical and synthetic biology to create biotherapeutic and biomedical tools, especially to treat brain diseases and to understand brain transport. We aim to conduct groundbreaking research and to grow together!
Project
Current treatments against brain diseases have very low efficacy due to the low permeability of most drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Our project Creating an Orthogonal Gate to the Brain (OBGate) has recently been awarded a prestigious European Research Council Starting Grant to develop new strategies to deliver large therapeutics into the brain with unprecedented efficiency and selectivity. Within this project, you will develop viral and non-viral gene delivery nanocarriers to transfect brain endothelium or brain tumor cells with high selectivity. You will participate in the whole development process of the nanovehicles, from the design, formulation and characterization to the in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Tasks
- Contribution to research excellence at all stages: literature review, experimental design, experimentation, data analysis, and proposal of new research directions.
- Collaboration with other researchers and contribution to an inspiring atmosphere.
- Presentation of results and contribution to preparing reports and scientific publications.
- Engagement in laboratory management and team activities.
- Training in technical and horizontal skills. Student supervision and training.
Conditions
- Three years of funding guaranteed.
- Training opportunities on scientific and horizontal skills.
- Room for creativity, mentorship & team support.
- Proposed starting date: January 2026.
- Requirement: master’s degree.
- Background in chemistry, nanotechnology, pharmacy, biotechnology, or related.
- Optional experience: nanoparticles, viral vectors, cell culture, experimental animals.
- Strong motivation and proactivity.
- Good social skills to work in a team.
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English.
To complete your application, please upload the following documents:
- Motivation letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the position and our team.
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Master’s and Bachelor’s academic records.
- Contact details of two referees. Reference letters are valued but not compulsory.
Applications are welcome until November 15 or until the candidate is selected.
We are an equal opportunity employer. We promote equality and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law. We strongly welcome applications from female candidates as they are currently under-represented at this level in this field of knowledge in our School.
We also promote scientific and technological knowledge, business transformation and societal progress. At IQS we look for professionals committed to both these values.