PostDoc to develop a injectable hydrogel for intraocular drug delivery

Empa - St. Gallen, Switzerland

Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Laboratory for Biointerfaces performs material-related research and focuses on understanding, characterizing and steering interactions of biomolecules, bacteria and human cells at surfaces for materials-based healthcare solutions.

Your tasks

Retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema are major causes of vision loss and are commonly treated with intravitreal injections of biologics. However, current intraocular often require frequent administration due to limited drug residence time, creating a high burden for patients and clinics. We thus aim to develop a minimally invasive, injectable biomaterial platform designed to enable predictable, long-term ocular delivery of biologics while maintaining optical clarity and tissue compatibility.

In the frame of this project, you will work with a team of scientists with backgrounds in chemistry and cell biology as well as with clinical partners on the development of an injectable hydrogel system for controlled drug delivery. You will design the hydrogel, tune its properties and subsequently functionalize it to achieve predictable drug release using state of the art facilities and equipment.

Your profile

• enthusiastic and curious personality
• PhD degree in organic/polymer chemistry or a related field
• strong expertise in synthesizing and characterizing hydrogels/soft materials, and experience with sol/gel processes, biomolecule handling and release studies
• high motivation to work in an interdisciplinary project
• excellent skills at science communication (verbal and written)

Our offer

• highly stimulating research environment in the Empa laboratories in St. Gallen
• easy access to outstanding infrastructure and equipment
• an experienced project team with (clinical) partners in Switzerland and Germany
• support to present work at scientific conferences and to publish in high quality journals
• support for personal development

This position (80-100%) is immediately available and for a period of 2 years with the possibility for an extension.

We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.

We look forward to receiving your complete online application including a letter of motivation, CV, certificates, diplomas and contact details of two reference persons. Please submit these exclusively via our job portal. Applications by e-mail and by post will not be considered.