PRR Project

Summary

The control of the properties of materials via crystal structure modification has burgeoned in the past decade due to the challenges and opportunities offered in terms of fundamental research and technological applications. With this approach, it is possible to tune the properties of substances, allowing the design of new materials and envisioning new applications. This topic is also of significant importance for several industries, like pharmaceutical, where numerous incidents dramatically stressed how the lack of control over the crystal structure of molecular organic solids can wreak havoc with the production, patenting, and safe use of medicines. The hiring and host institutions, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL)/Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (DQB) and CQE/FCUL, have strategic plans dedicated to advancing their research dealing with the development of materials for health. Their goal is to address the societal challenges with a particular focus on responsible consumption and production and promoting health and well-being.The relevance of this profile lies in its alignment with the state-of-the-art advancements in materials science and pharmaceutical technology, as highlighted in Europe’s Materials 2030 roadmap. By harnessing a diverse skill set and collaborative spirit, the appointed researcher will contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the translation of research findings into tangible benefits for healthcare and beyond.Concomitantly, the scientific profile for the job position hereby described is available for a highly motivated researcher with a strong background in Physical-Chemistry, particularly in the field of Molecular Energetics and Thermodynamics. The researcher should preferably combine theoretical/computational and experimental competencies. This profile is needed at CQE to develop research within the CQE’s thematic line MATChem (Functional Materials Chemistry), focused on the development of organic functional materials for agrochemical, food, and particularly pharmaceutical applications. The above-mentioned expertise is also on demand at DQB/FCUL. The candidate to be hired is expected to:i) Develop and lead to the forefront of European if not worldwide counterparts the thermal analysis and calorimetry facility at CQE/FCUL: Thermal analysis and calorimetry methods are essential to investigate a variety of current holy-grails of physical-chemistry basis in the area of functional materials, such as the control of polymorphism or solubility enhancement of pharmaceuticals using multicomponent crystals. Besides the fundamental challenges posed by these problems, their investigation can also open a variety of opportunities for product innovation and patenting in industrial sectors that rely on materials with highly reproducible properties such as pharmaceuticals;ii) A critical aspect of the role for the researcher to be hired involves pioneering novel theoretical frameworks to explore and predict properties pertinent to APIs. By leveraging the interplay of experimental and computational data obtained, the candidate will drive innovation in the design and characterization of materials, thus augmenting the institution´s research capabilities, particularly in the MATChem thematic line. Molecular dynamics simulation is one of the most promising computational methods to assist in these studies and in the interpretation of the physical chemical processes related with functional materials. Thus, MD expertise is highly desirable for this position;iii) Advanced training and education: The researcher is expected to participate and integrate the mission and activities of FCUL/DQB and CQE/FCUL: (i) Teaching duties - Physical-Chemistry; Computational Chemistry; (ii) Mentoring and training students at DQB@FCUL. This includes supervising Ph.D. and MSc projects; (iii) Attracting funds; (v) Outreach and dissemination activities, fostering a culture of academic excellence.The candidate should possess exceptional inter- and multidisciplinary research leadership, with a strong publication record (> 20 articles in WoS-indexed journals in the last 5 years; h-index > 22) and experience in supervising MSc and Ph.D 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; a proactive approach to establish collaborations with relevant national and international partners, and successful applications to use European facilities for materials characterization ( e.g. , Synchrotron).