Assistant Professor Computer-Aided Drug Design

Job Description: Assistant Professor in Computer-Aided Drug Design

Using Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), the candidate is able to develop new methodologies and integrate drug synthesis and molecular pharmacology activities by improving molecular understanding of ligand-protein interactions.

We are seeking an Assistant Professor to lead the Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) group within the Medicinal Chemistry division. The successful candidate will develop methodologies in molecular modeling, data management, and machine learning to advance the understanding of ligand-protein interactions.

With a background in drug development, medicinal chemistry, and computational chemistry, the candidate will support research on G-Protein Coupled Receptors and Fragment-Based Drug Discovery. The role requires expertise in both ligand-based and structure-based drug discovery, and the molecular insights obtained will help guide synthetic chemists and molecular pharmacologists through interdisciplinary collaboration within the division.

Your Profile

• Experience in developing and applying a wide variety of computational techniques (including protein structure predictions, molecular dynamics, docking, virtual screening, structural chemogenomics, machine learning, AI, free-energy perturbations, etc.)
• Data management expertise, cheminformatics, and bioinformatics
• Experience in modelling of G-protein coupled receptors and enzymes
• Experience in programming and scripting
• A strong publication record
• Good communicative skills in writing and speaking
• A track record in attracting research funding
• Leadership skills that help to lead the computer-aided drug design group
• The ability to motivate and teach graduate and undergraduate students

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:

• A salary of minimum €4,332.00 (Scale 11) and maximum €6,737.00 (Scale 12) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Lecturer / Assistant Professor 1, Lecturer / Assistant Professor 1, Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor 1, Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor 2. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• A position for at least 1 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 18 months. Afterwards, there is a prospect of a permanent contract.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations, such as:

• 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.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• Possibility to save holiday hours for sabbatical leave
• Solid pension scheme (ABP)
• Child daycare facilities available on campus

About Us

The Medicinal Chemistry division consists of two main research lines: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and Fragment-Based Drug Discovery. Within the GPCR research line, the division has focused especially on histamine receptors and chemokine receptors. The computational group uses the rapidly emerging structural understanding to develop GPCR activation models, construct ligand-protein binding models, deduce structure-activity relationships and identify and optimize novel GPCR ligands.

Within the fragment-based drug design research line, molecular modelling explores a variety of protein classes, including GPCRs, phosphodiesterases, and ligand-gated ion channels. Identification of fragment hits is followed up by structure-based drug design to develop potent lead compounds with favourable pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. Fragment-based approaches are also used to study fundamental aspects of ligand-protein binding, especially with respect to affinity, binding kinetics, and thermodynamics, using experimental data that is generated by a variety of techniques, including biochemical and biophysical screening such as SPR, ITC and x-ray crystallography. Bio- and cheminformatics approaches are being used to study poly-pharmacology as a promising approach to develop new drug candidates with clinical potential, especially in the field of neglected parasitic diseases and inflammation.

The computational group is an integral part of the Medicinal Chemistry division, with weekly work discussions with the drug synthesis group, and regular project meetings with the molecular pharmacology group. An interest in synthetic chemistry and molecular pharmacology is essential. The Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences is part of the Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS) and collaborates with other groups that have expertise in other areas of preclinical drug discovery and development, including biology, bioanalysis, and toxicology.

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. From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, and from molecules to the moon: we cover the full spectrum of the natural sciences. Our teaching and research have a strong experimentally technical, computational, and interdisciplinary nature.

We work on new solutions guided by value-driven, interdisciplinary methodologies. We are committed to research, valorisation, and training socially engaged citizens of the world who will make valuable contributions to a sustainable, healthy future.

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. You will combine a professional focus with a broad view of the world. We are proud of our collegial working climate, characterized by committed staff, a pragmatic attitude, and engagement in the larger whole. The faculty is home to over 11,000 students enrolled in 40 study programmes. It employs over 1,600 professionals spread across 10 academic departments.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and focusing on diversity, significance, and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research.

The VU campus is located in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU, and over 31,000 students attend academic education. Diversity is the driving force of the VU, which aims to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences, and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest, and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research, and our services. We are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested?

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.