• An outstanding opportunity to launch your research career at CSIRO
• Work with leading scientists in world-class facilities
• Join the CSIRO Manufacturing team for this exciting postdoctoral fellowship

The Position:

Postdoctoral Fellows are appointed for up to three years and will work closely with a leading Research Scientist or Engineer in their respective field. They carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO with the possibility of novel and important scientific outcomes. They present the findings in appropriate publications and at conferences.

CSIRO Manufacturing is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to develop novel protein delivery systems for long-acting injectable therapeutics. The role of the postdoctoral fellow will be to manage this multi-disciplinary research project, building the connections between neuroscientist, polymer and protein scientists. The fellow will be exposed to different expertise and conduct experiments, from fabrication of injectable hydrogel depot at CSIRO Clayton to the development of therapeutic protein formulation at CSIRO Parkville. The fellow will investigate drug delivery technologies in close collaboration with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University to determine the efficacy of the drug depot on glial scarring and neuronal survival in an animal model. With the help of the new Biomedical Materials Transformation facility at the CSIRO the fellow can screen the physicochemical and biological performance of the biomaterials in high-throughput processes. The project also extends to molecular imaging and functional in vivo animal studies at the University of Queensland that allows the fellow to incorporate medical imaging to probe the technology in highly relevant pre-clinical models. The project provides an exciting opportunity for an early career scientist to work in a multi-disciplinary research environment, and to participate in the pre-clinical translation of biomaterials for brain therapy

Your duties will include:

• Design, synthesise, formulate and characterise protein depot and biomaterials suitable for long-acting injectable therapeutic.
• Evaluate the efficacy and optimise the release kinetic of the therapeutics/biologics in vitro and in vivo (imaging).
• Establish and maintain collaborative links with clinicians and industry.
• Undertaking regular reviews of relevant literature and patents.

Location:  Clayton, Victoria
Salary: $80k to $91k plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of up to 3 years
Ref no: 56962

To be successful you will have:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as polymer chemistry, material science, pharmaceutical science and neuroscience. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.
• A record of science innovation and creativity, plus the ability & willingness to incorporate novel ideas and approaches into scientific investigations.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct innovative research in synthetic chemistry (polymer, biomaterials) and/or pharmaceutical science.
• Demonstrated ability to perform bio-conjugation and/or protein formulation.
• Demonstrated experience in general characterisation techniques, such as NMR, SEC, FTIR, UV-Vis, and familiar with culturing of cells and in vitro assays.
• Experience with and understanding of material characterisation techniques (i.e. rheology, DMTA, DSC, SEC etc) as well as protein activity assay (i.e. ELISA, Western Blotting).
• The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary, regionally dispersed research team, plus the motivation and discipline to carry out autonomous research.

Before applying please view the full position details and selection criteria here: Position Details document

About Us

We imagine. We collaborate. We innovate.  At CSIRO, we do the extraordinary every day. We innovate for tomorrow and help improve today – for our customers, all Australians and the world. We do this by using science and technology to solve real issues. Diversity is the compass that navigates our innovation. We provide an inclusive workplace that respects, values and actively pursues the benefits of a diverse workforce.

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you.  Find out more Balance

How to Apply: Please provide a response to the selection criteria for this position to enable the assessment panel to determine your suitability, and upload one document containing your CV/resume, response to each selection criteria and cover letter.  

Applications Close:  10:59pm AEST, 19 June 2018.