PhD candidate position in Pharmaceutical Technology
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One Ph.D. position is available in the research group of Prof. Luciani at the University of Bern on the topic "In vitro models of fibrosis in endometriosis as a screening tool for novel and repurposed drug candidates". The planned starting date is August 1, 2025.

Background:
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that is estimated to affect 5-10% of women of reproductive age and is involved in 5-50% of female factor infertility cases. Current treatment options for endometriosis are severely limited and comprise hormone suppression therapy and surgery, with a first line of pharmacological treatment typically based on pain alleviation. Recently, the fibrotic aspect of the disease has emerged as a potential therapeutic target.

Tasks
Our group started to develop 3D culture models of fibrosis in endometriosis and used these to evaluate antifibrotic drugs with the potential to be repurposed for endometriosis. The doctoral student will work with biomaterials, additive manufacturing, cell culture techniques, extracellular vesicles, and omics technologies and will learn how to develop advanced therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis in a multidisciplinary environment in close collaboration with preclinical and clinical laboratories.
Requirements
The ideal candidate

• has a Master degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences or Pharmacy
• has previous experience with cell culture techniques
• is able to collaborate in an interdisciplinary manner with different research teams
• is proactive and highly motivated, interested in exploring new technologies, and accepts challenging tasks
• is fluent in English
• is keen to teach and mentor undergraduate students in lab courses and research internships

We offer
Excellent working conditions and an empowering working environment. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity, and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Our team shares a common goal of making a measurable impact in both research and transfer. We have an extensive network of research institutions and industrial partners at both national and international levels.
Duration: 3-4 years.

For scientific questions about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Paola Luciani by mail: paola.luciani@ unibe.ch.
Location: University of Bern
Contact address: Prof. Dr. Paola Luciani, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. https://lucianiresearch.com')

Applications: Applications should be sent via e-mail to: paola.luciani@ unibe.ch by April 30 and should include: a motivation statement, CV, copy of the master’s degree, and two reference letters. The application must be a SINGLE PDF file. Applications not respecting the guidelines will not be considered.