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The University of São Paulo (USP) is a leading research and teaching institution in Latin America and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) has a world-class team of professors and researchers working on the basic and applied research in human health and disease. The research group led by Drs Carolina Borsoi Moraes and Lucio Freitas-Junior has been working in collaboration with DNDi for the development of efficacious, safe, and affordable new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.

Purpose of the position

We seek a highly motivated individual for a translational research postdoctoral project in drug discovery for the tropical infectious diseases leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. The selected researcher will be linked to and develop the project at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (ICB/USP), under the supervision of Drs Carolina Borsoi Moraes and Lucio Freitas-Junior.

Specific responsibilities

The project consists of developing and validating new phenotypic assays using High Content Screening (HCS) technology. The tests will be applied in the screening of new chemical entities developed in partnership with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), and in studies of mechanism of action of selected compounds. These activities comprise a key portion of a multidisciplinary consortium, and the selected candidates will be expected to play a leading role in the drug discovery project and liaise closely with other drug discovery scientists from medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, biochemistry, parasitology and DMPK areas, contributing to the overall project team. These roles offer opportunities to work with leading drug discovery scientists in academia and industry.

Job requirements

Candidates are required to have a PhD in the field of Biological, Biomedical, or Pharmaceutical Sciences, to be fluent in English, to be able to work in a biosafety level 2 environment, and to have excellent oral and written communication skills. Prior experience with cell culture and protozoan cell biology is desirable. The candidate must also be flexible and adaptable to meet the diverse demands of the project and be able to interact with various researchers from a multidisciplinary team.

To apply

• Scholarship applicants should submit their curriculum vitae (max. 4 pages), a letter of motivation explaining why they believe they are the ideal candidate for this opportunity (max. 1 page) and contact of at least two professional references for Carolina B. Moraes (cbmoraes@usp.br).
• Deadline for application: 20 August 2019The selected researcher will receive a monthly postdoctoral scholarship compatible with other funding agencies from São Paulo state. The position is scheduled to start in September 2019 and the possibility of renewing the scholarship after the initial 12 months.