PRR Project

Summary

Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death worldwide. Even though some forms of cancer conditions have high success treatment rates, cancer relapse is quite frequent, with the aggravating factor that it often no longer responds either to the initial treatment or to other therapeutics available. The non-response to treatment is a problem known as multidrug resistance (MDR), and it can be acquired (developed after a successful phase of medication as in the example given) or intrinsic (when cancer has always been non-responsive to treatments). This major limitation to cancer therapy, particularly in aggressive and metastatic cancers, results in truly poor prognosis, grim statistics and sets a vital need for new solutions. As such, transforming MDR and its mechanisms into a therapeutic target and developing ways to overcome or block them suggests a very promising strategy in oncology. The hiring and host institutions, FCUL/DQB and CQE/FCUL, have strategic plans dedicated to the advancement of research in health sciences. Their goal is to address the societal challenges in health, with a particular focus on cancer, as identified by the public policy of the EU.The scientific profile for the job position hereby described is available for a highly motivated researcher with a solid background in Organometallic Chemistry (synthesis) and Medicinal Chemistry, who is an expert in anti-cancer early-stage drug discovery. The ideal candidate should possess a competitive and multidisciplinary skill set, including expertise in synthesis, biological-oriented training, and an entrepreneurial mindset, enabling them to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to research. This job profile will consolidate the field of Anticancer Drug Discovery at CQE-DQB-FCUL, with cutting-edge research focused on cancer MDR and highly aggressive and metastatic cancers that pose a global health challenge. This constitutes a priority within the goals of MEDLife´s strategic thematic line of CQE.The job position´s research strategy is focused on achieving the following objectives:i) Fighting cancer MDR: MDR causes ca. 90% failure of treatments in metastatic cancers. The successful design of metallodrugs acting as ABC pumps inhibitors (one of the main mechanisms of MDR) able to overcome MDR is scarce despite the advantages it could present. As such, developing a research area that corresponds to an unmet clinical need provides an exciting opportunity. Furthermore, antibiotic resistance has been reported as one of the top 3 health threats of the 21st century. Metal complexes have the potential to act as both anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Therefore, the hired researcher will also evaluate them against antimicrobial resistance, expanding their use and know-how and optimizing resources.ii) Polymer-metal conjugates (PMCs): It is worth considering PMCs as a viable alternative to traditional low molecular weight drugs. One of the main advantages of PMCs is their ability to selectively accumulate in malignant tissues due to an ‘enhanced permeation and retention effect’. Furthermore, using polymers in PMCs allows for chemical synthesis that can be tailored to the desired target, giving it an edge over other macromolecules. Therefore, the ideal candidate should possess expertise in polymer synthesis.iii) Translational vision: one of CQE/FCUL´s goals is to transfer knowledge and innovation to society through its incubator, Tec Labs. The hired researcher is expected to actively seek out opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship by submitting patents and achieving higher technology readiness levels for the most promising research results. It will be highly appreciated if the candidate has taken part in competitive entrepreneurship programs.The researcher is expected to participate and integrate the mission and activities of the hiring and host Institutions: (i) Teaching duties - Inorganic chemistry and related subjects; Structural analysis; Advanced laboratory courses; (ii) Advanced training responsibilities - Master’s and PhD students’ supervision; Participation in jury committees; (iii) Attracting funds; (iv) Collaborate in governance - Contribute to scientific and strategic planning; (v) Infrastructure management duties; (vi) Outreach and dissemination activities | impact on society.The candidate should possess exceptional inter- and multidisciplinary research leadership, with a strong publication record (>18 articles in WoS-indexed journals in the last 5 years, being the corresponding author in at least half the publications; h-index > 19). Experience in supervising MSc and PhD students. Strong commitment to the scientific community in the decision-making processes in the related areas (e.g. international project evaluator and academic jury committees), and management experience (e.g. PI in projects). A proactive approach to securing (inter)national funding and establishing collaborations with relevant national and international partners.