PhD studentship position is available (ideally Q1 - Q2, 2010) in the School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacochemistry), University of Geneva,
Switzerland, to work on the development of new Molecular Interaction Fields
and their use in various areas of computer-assisted drug design methods. 

The computational PhD project is part of a freshly started cross-disciplinary
program aims at revitalizing and merging two of the most powerful tools to
describe drug properties, i.e. Solvatochromic models and Molecular Interaction Fields
(MIFs). The former means global values excellent at describing solvation of
molecules which can be directly linked to their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic
behavior. The latter are powerful modeling techniques to precisely compute
and visualize physicochemical properties around conformations. Although MIFs
have already been established on the basis of solvatochromic parameters and
other experimental physchem data (including from our lab, see pioneer work in
S. Rey et al. J. Mol. Graphics Model. 2001, 19, 521-535. and
P. Gaillard, et al. J. Comput. - Aided Mol. Design 1994, 8, 83-96.), a strong
push to revisit this approach is needed to take full benefits. The program
focuses on i) finding novel, more accurate and rapid ways to experimentally
generate parameters,
ii) the development of innovative MIFs and
iii) applying new and existing MIFs to a broader variety of ligand- and
target-based strategies.

Our unit aims at proposing methodologies and guidlines to help rational
drug-design (http://www.unige.ch/pharmacochimie). It has at least a 25 years
expertise in physicochemical experiments and computational chemistry and is
led by Prof. Pierre-Alain Carrupt. It is part of the multidisciplinary and
dynamic school of Pharmaceutical Sciences based in the center of Geneva
(http://www.unige.ch/sciences/pharm). Detailed information about living and
studying in Geneva can be found at http://www.unige.ch/international/pquoigeneve_en.html
and http://www.unige.ch/international/etudageneve_en.html 
Contracts stand for research and teaching tasks together with other scientific
services our group is providing.

Applicants are expected to hold a Master of Sciences or equivalent
(pharmacy, chemistry, (bio)informatics, mathematics, ...) and to show strong
interest in cheminformatics, as well as organizational, interpersonal and
creative skills. Programming capability and/or experience with molecular
modeling environments (Sybyl, Schrdinger, OpenEye) is an asset. Another plus
is knowledge of French language, yet not mandatory if English is mastered and
willing to learn.

  
Please send a short CV and a cover letter to the project supervisor,
Dr. Antoine Daina, antoine.daina%%unige.ch.