Senior Research Associate

Interview date: Wednesday 14th February 2024 Applications are invited for a Senior Research Associate to work in the group of Dr M. Paz Muñoz in the Department of Chemistry at Lancaster University, to work in a Leverhulme Trust project in the area of i-motif DNA based asymmetric catalysis with gold carbenes. You will be involved in the development of novel i-motif DNA-Au carbene hybrids for enantioselective Au catalysis using the inherent chirality of DNA to induce asymmetry. Key objectives will involve the synthesis of b-N-stabilised Au carbenes from N-heterocyclic containing allenes, the study of their interaction with i-motif and other DNA structures, and your application in asymmetric catalysis for the synthesis of products relevant for drug-discovery in high enantiomeric purity. Experience in organometallic chemistry and catalysis is essential, and knowledge or strong interest in asymmetric catalysis and DNA interaction with small molecules is desirable. You will also be expected to travel and collaborate with the group of Dr. Zoë Waller at UCL. Dr. Waller is an Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy at UCL, and a world-leading expert in drug-nucleic acid interactions and alternative DNA structures with applications in medicine and nanotechnology. You will have a PhD degree (or about to be awarded a PhD) in Chemistry and be able to fulfil all the essential criteria of the person specification. This position is available from the 15th April 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter on a full-time basis for a fixed term period of 36 months. The Muñoz group is based at the Chemistry Department at Lancaster University. Lancaster University is consistently highly ranked (~top 10) in the UK university league tables and is in the top 1% of universities globally. It is located on a beautiful campus in the North West of England close to the stunning Lake District National Park. The Chemistry Department is committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis, as well as the Athena SWAN Charter, which recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address equality issues in higher education and research, and we warmly welcome applications from people in all diversity groups. Informal e-mail enquiries prior to making an application are welcome and should be addressed to Dr. M. Paz Muñoz (m.munoz-herranz@lancaster.ac.uk). Further details: Job Description Person Specification Please note: Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, all advertised roles are UK based. The University provides an environment that strongly supports the individual needs of each employee, whilst promoting the importance of wellbeing for all our colleagues. We have a range of support networks available for our employees, and more information on these can be found on the ‘Working at Lancaster’ information page. We are committed to family-friendly and flexible working policies on an individual basis. The University recognises and celebrates good employment practice undertaken to address all inequality in higher education. We warmly welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their age, religion, gender identity or expression, race, disability or sexual orientation, and are committed to promoting diversity, and equality of opportunity.