We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic researcher for a three-year PhD fellowship in solid state Pharmacy, starting as soon as possible.

Project description
Poor aqueous solubility is one of the greatest unsolved challenges in modern drug development, affecting more than 90% of small-molecule drug candidates and severely limiting their therapeutic potential. While crystalline drug forms provide physical stability, their poor solubility often compromises bioavailability and clinical performance. Amorphous drug forms can overcome this limitation by dramatically enhancing solubility; however, their inherent instability and tendency to recrystallize remain major barriers to their widespread application.

This project seeks to challenge conventional paradigms in pharmaceutical formulation by pioneering new concepts in “amorphous engineering”. Recent breakthroughs from our group have demonstrated that drugs can exist in multiple amorphous forms and/or polyamorphs, with distinct physicochemical properties. This largely unexplored phenomenon, known as amorphous variability, opens unprecedented opportunities for the design of next-generation medicines.

The project will investigate the formation, stabilization, and confinement of amorphous forms of drugs within biocompatible particles, creating innovative formulations capable of combining enhanced solubility with improved physical stability, without the need for additional excipients. By integrating state-of-the-art experimental characterization techniques with computational modelling, this research aims to establish transformative strategies for poorly water-soluble drugs and accelerate the development of more effective medicines for patients.

Principal supervisor
Associate Professor Inês Catarina Batista Martins, Department of Pharmacy

Start: As soon as possible
Duration: 3 years as a PhD student

Our group and research
Our research group Pharmaceuticals, Products and Processes (3P) is an internationally recognized and highly collaborative research team at the forefront of innovative pharmaceutical product design and materials science. With a strong focus on the solid state of pharmaceutical systems, the group pioneers research on the transformation of crystalline drugs into high-energy amorphous forms to improve pharmaceutical performance and enable next-generation medicines. Combining expertise in solid-state characterization, rheology, and pharmaceutical processing with a supportive, interdisciplinary, and inclusive research culture, the 3P group investigates the physicochemical properties, stabilization, and functionality of advanced crystalline and amorphous drug systems. The group maintains a highly international profile, comprising approximately 20 researchers, producing around 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications annually, and sustaining strong collaborations with leading Danish and international academic and industrial partners.

Our department
The mission of the Department of Pharmacy is to advance the pharmaceutical sciences by performing drug-related research and research-based teaching in topics including pharmaceutical technology and formulation, drug delivery, advanced drug analysis, and clinical and social pharmacy.

Click here for information about the Department.

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team, preferably abroad
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching of undergraduate students in pharmaceutical sciences
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. solid-state pharmacy, pharmaceutical manufacturing, drug formulation. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• Background in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, materials science, or a closely related discipline
• Good understanding of basic physical chemistry and/or solid-state science
• Familiarity with (or strong interest in learning) pharmaceutical formulation or materials characterization
• Ability to analyze and interpret experimental data in a structured and critical way
• Interest in interdisciplinary research combining experiments and (optionally) computational or data-driven approaches
• The grade point average achieved
• Previous publications
• A curious mind-set with a strong interest in amorphous drug formulation and characterization using combined experimental techniques (e.g., differential scanning calorimetry, microcalorimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, solid-state NMR) with computational modelling
• Good written and oral communication skills in English

Additional skills (optional):

• Experience with solid-state characterization techniques (e.g., DSC, PXRD, IR spectroscopy)
• Exposure to pharmaceutical formulation or drug delivery research
• Basic programming or data analysis skills (e.g., Python, MATLAB)
• Basic knowledge on computational modelling

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and access to the state-of-the-art equipment (including through the Center for advanced solid state analysis, via a range of international research partners, as well as access to large infrastructure facilities).

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2025) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

The PhD student is expected to be affiliated to the graduate programme in pharmaceutical sciences, Drug Research Academy.

Salary, pension, and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 31,600 DKK/Roughly 4,1200 EUR (April 2026 level) plus pension.

Application procedure
Your application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking “Apply now” below and must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Applicants with a Master´s degree from abroad should also enclose a short description of the grading scale used.

4. Publication list (if possible)

5. Other information to consider: References and recommendations (if possible)

The deadline for applications is 7 July 2026, 23.59 (CET).
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorised recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

You can read about the recruitment process here.

Questions
For further information, applicants may contact the principal supervisor Inês Catarina Batista Martins, e-mail: [email protected], phone: +45 71470701 or PhD coordinator Marianne W. Jørgensen, e-mail: [email protected], phone: +45 3533 6449.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website.

For more information on working and living in Denmark visit International Staff Mobility (ISM) and Work In Denmark

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 07-07-2026

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Pharmacy