PhD-position in chemistry

This Ph.D.project will develop a new generation of chemometrics for pharmaceutical products in collaboration with AstraZeneca R&D.In the pharmaceutical industry there is a large need for development of tools to better understand the properties and the interrelations between raw materials, process parameters and the final quality of the product.Most of these interrelations are multivariate.The project involves working with a holistic view of several connected pharmaceutical process steps.Three main routes to make tablets are wet granulation, direct compression of mixed powders and roller compaction.These routes are combined with e.g.dispensing, drying, milling, final mixing, tableting, coating, and packaging.There are large benefits with e.g.assessing tablet properties from the properties of the granules or directly from the granulation process performance rather than from the finished product.The project is focussed on e.g.how to vary the processing parameters in order to adapt to varying raw material properties in order to achieve the right product quality.Granule and tablet performance will be assessed using conventional techniques, and attempts will be made to correlate product performance with measured properties.This project offers considerable chemometric challenge and requires a multi-faceted approach, including both data modelling and experimental lab work across the disciplines of analytical chemistry, pharmaceutical formulation, and processing.This Ph.D.project will interact with Computational Life Science Cluster (CLIC), a joint effort to stimulate, organize and advance computational life science in Umeå.CLIC hosts researchers from several departments and centres at the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University.CLIC is physically located in the Chemical Biology Center (KBC).All experimental work will be carried out, partially by the student, at AstraZeneca R&D in Mölndal, Sweden.The Ph.D.student needs to be skilled in both oral and written communication in English, be able to work independently as well as in collaboration with others.Practical experience in process chemometrics, statistical experimental design, multivariate calibration, computer programming, analytical chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical formulation are merits.The application should contain a CV, including academic grades, a copy of degree project report and any publications, two personal references along with a personal letter of one A4 sheet describing yourself and why you apply for this position. We look forward to receiving your application!