"Research Associate in Computational & Experimental Design of Antibody-Drug Conjugates"

Imperial College London - Department of Chemistry

About the role

Are you an innovative scientist passionate about bridging chemical biology, protein engineering, and computational design to create new therapeutic strategies? We are seeking a Research Associate to join an interdisciplinary project focused on directed evolution and computational protein design for next-generation antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs).

Based at Imperial College London, you will develop and apply both experimental and computational approaches to engineer novel antibodies and antibody fragments with enhanced binding, stability, and conjugation properties. These engineered proteins will form the basis of new ADCs targeting solid tumours, with a particular emphasis on pancreatic cancer.

This position is part of a collaborative research programme between Imperial College London and the Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited (LSCCB) in Hong Kong, bringing together complementary expertise in protein design, chemical biology, and therapeutic development to advance innovative ADC technologies.

What you would be doing:

• Design, construct, and screen protein variant libraries using directed evolution techniques.
• Develop and apply computational tools and models (Python-based) for protein sequence and structure prediction, design, and optimisation.
• Integrate computational predictions with experimental validation to create data-driven protein engineering pipelines.
• Carry out molecular biology and biochemical experiments, including cloning, mutagenesis, protein expression and purification.
• Collaborate closely with international partners at LSCCB (Hong Kong) to align computational design with experimental outcomes.
• Contribute to publications, grant applications, and the wider dissemination of research findings.

What we are looking for:

• A PhD (or equivalent) in Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven expertise in directed evolution or protein engineering.
• Programming experience in Python, ideally applied to computational protein design, molecular modelling, or machine learning for biomolecular systems.
• Practical experience in molecular cloning, protein expression, purification, and functional characterisation.
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively across computational and experimental teams.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills, with a track record of high-quality research outputs.

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to work at a world-leading research university within a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.
• Access to state-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities for protein design and analysis.
• A chance to contribute to a high-impact international collaboration with LSCCB in Hong Kong.
• Career development support, mentoring, and access to Imperial’s outstanding training and professional development resources.
• A diverse, inclusive, and supportive working environment that values innovation and scientific excellence.

Further Information

The expected start date is 01 April 2026.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant.

The Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London is internationally recognised for excellence in research and teaching, spanning areas from fundamental molecular science to applied chemical biology, materials, and sustainable chemistry. The department provides a vibrant, collaborative environment equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and a strong culture of interdisciplinary innovation.

The successful candidate will join the Aprile Group, led by Dr Francesco A. Aprile, which focuses on applying chemical biology and protein engineering approaches to understand and manipulate protein function for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

This is a full-time post (no less than 35 hours per week).

This role is for a fixed-term contract for up to 30 months.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Dr Francesco A. Aprile – f.aprile@imperial.ac.uk.