Research Assistant/Associate

University of Strathclyde • Glasgow, Scotland • 1w ago

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant in data-driven design for the rapid formulation of 3D-printable materials as a part of a 5-year EPSRC Programme Grant. The multi-institution, multidisciplinary research team, led from the University of Nottingham is composed of leading researchers from universities of Nottingham, Reading, Cambridge and Strathclyde and leading international researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Delaware, ETH-Zurich and CSIRO. This post is based at the University of Strathclyde within the EPSRC Future Manufacturing Research Hub for Continuous Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallisation (CMAC). CMAC is a world leading medicines manufacturing research centre that hosts a portfolio of collaborative research programmes aimed to transform the development and manufacture of medicines (www.cmac.ac.uk).

Our vision is to create a toolkit and workflow for the rapid formulation of 3D-printable materials with automated selection and dial up of bespoke properties. Industry across multiple sectors has identified that whilst it needs personalised / tailored devices, the materials are not available, product development is arduous and the route to market is long. We will address this by creating a toolkit-platform by which industry can deliver, on demand, the materials and processes necessary for functional products. Our ambition is to realise highly functional, smart products with the potential to transform key UK industries - (bio)pharma, cell therapy/regenerative medicine and (bio)catalysis and beyond, that until now have been impossible to realise using traditional manufacturing techniques.

Our workflow will develop materials and design in an interconnected way, leading to predictable processability across 3D printing processes. We will optimise these printing methodologies to enable the production of exemplar products that demonstrate the complexity of functions required from our target sector fields. This will explore the diversity of materials issues faced, whilst feeding back into our materials / design challenges, thereby providing further advances. This programme grant will deliver the toolkit necessary for the realisation of advanced functional products - initially within the pharma, regenerative medicine and biocatalysis sectors, but expandable considerably beyond this into a diverse range of sectors that can benefit from the main advantages of 3D Printing - bespoke, on demand, complex functionality. A key demonstration of capability will be the production of three product exemplars, with varying functional requirements that meet cross sector needs. In achieving these we will develop a library of functional 3D printable materials, a computational and experimental screening protocol and the 3D deposition systems that will deliver industrially relevant products. Together this will deliver the toolkit that will enable Dial Up of Performance.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant subject (chemistry, materials science, physics, pharmaceutical science, computer science, or a related discipline) with appropriate experience in data science and software/data/knowledge engineering or related.

You must have excellent verbal and written communications skills to engage with partners across the project and have the ability to write clearly and succinctly for publication. Team working will be essential however the ability to manage time commitments and prioritise individual tasks is also important. You should be able to independently develop new concepts in your research, have excellent organisational skills, initiative, and the ability to pay close attention to detail.

Applicants are required to complete an application form including the name of three referees who will be contacted without further permission, unless you indicate that you would prefer otherwise. Applicants should also submit a Curriculum Vitae and a covering letter detailing the knowledge, skills and experience you think make you the right candidate for the job. Applicants should also complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.

Informal enquiries about the post can be directed to Professor Blair Johnston, (blair.johnston@strath.ac.uk).

Interviews
Formal interviews for this post will be held on 22/02/2023.

Equality and Diversity
The University of Strathclyde is a socially progressive institution that strives to ensure equality of opportunity and celebrates the diversity of its student and staff community. Strathclyde is people-oriented and collaborative, offering a supportive and flexible working culture with a deep commitment to our equality, diversity and inclusion charters, initiatives, groups and networks.
We strongly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnicity, women, LGBT+, and disabled candidates and candidates from lower socio-economic groups and care-experienced backgrounds.

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