Post-doc Design and synthesis of Enzyme Inhibitors

The Medicinal Chemistry group is looking for a post-doc who can design and synthesise new enzyme inhibitors as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Your function

Using your experience in small-molecule organic synthesis, you will design and synthesise new heterocyclic molecules that are able to inhibit PDE enzymes. You will synthesise, isolate and characterize novel drug-like molecules. Your compounds will be screened for enzyme inhibition, enabling the development of structure-activity relationships that guide the synthesis of additional compounds.

The candidate will join a well-integrated, multidisciplinary team and work closely with colleagues who conduct Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) studies and biological screening. The results are expected to lead to publications in high-quality scientific journals, while also contributing to the specific goal of developing new medicines for Alzheimer’s disease.

Your profile

• Experience with modern organic synthesis, including heterocyclic chemistry, parallel chemistry and a wide variety of reaction types.
• Experience in purification and chemical analysis to characterize new small-molecule drug-like compounds (1D-NMR, 2D-NMR, LC-MS, HR-MS, IR, etc.).
• Good communicative skills in writing and speaking and the ability to motivate and teach colleagues and undergraduate students.
• An interest in medicinal chemistry and an understanding and willingness to be guided by the biological context are also requirements.
• The candidate is a team player who works together with colleagues who perform biological screening and perform CADD studies.

We realize that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognizes themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Space for personal development.
• A wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge.
• Discount on, and occasionally exclusive access to, theater performances and courses at the Griffioen Cultural Center.
• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.

About us

Faculty of Science

Researchers and students at VU Amsterdam’s Faculty of Science tackle fundamental and complex scientific problems to help pave the way for a sustainable and healthy future. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational and interdisciplinary nature.

Are you interested in joining the Faculty of Science? You will join undergraduate students, PhD candidates and researchers at the biggest sciences faculty in the Netherlands. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterized by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude and engagement in the larger whole.

The start of the position is no later than September 2026.