Design and synthesis of transition-state analogue inhibitors of 2’-deoxynucleoside 5’-phosphate N-glycosidase 1 (DNPH1)

PhD scholarship opportunity at the Ferrier Research Institute.

Two 500 MHz NMR spectrometers and one 400 MHz FoodScreener NMR spectrometer.

This project aims at developing powerful and specific inhibitors of DNPH1 that will re-sensitise tumours to PARP therapy.

Project outline

Cancer is the leading cause of death in New Zealand and worldwide, associated with one in three deaths. Despite the emergence of immunotherapies, cancer patients are largely treated using conventional cancer therapies such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapies. Drug resistance represents one of the greatest challenges in cancer treatment as it is the main reason for treatment failure.

The project will be under the supervision of Dr Farah Lamiable-Oulaidi and Professor Peter Tyler and is designed to maximise the chance of developing a successful drug to re-sensitise tumour cells to these therapies. The drug design relies on the enzymatic transition state analysis technique performed by our long-standing collaborator Prof Vern Schramm (Albert, Einstein College of Medicine, NY).

The project will involve synthetic organic chemistry and analytical chemistry. In this project, you will gain experience in the synthesis of small molecules and become proficient using the associated characterisation techniques (LC-MS, NMR etc). You will also benefit from working in a team with a leading biochemistry/biology group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

We would like to invite candidates that hold a BSc (Hons) or MSc in organic or medicinal chemistry, synthetic drug discovery or a related discipline, ideally with experience in synthetic organic chemistry to apply for this fully funded three-year PhD scholarship.

Funding Notes

The applicant must be eligible for admission to the PhD programme at Victoria University of Wellington. A GPA of 7.5 or greater (on a 9 point scale), first class honours or Master’s grade and demonstration of proficiency in English are essential. The PhD scholarship provides tuition fees and a tax-free personal allowance of NZ$35,000 per annum for three years. International candidates receive the same package as New Zealand residents provided they reside in New Zealand for the duration of the project and study under a New Zealand student visa.

Contacts and next steps

Please apply to our postgraduate coordinator, Dr Alison Daines, at ferrierPGC@vuw.ac.nz. When applying please ensure all required documents are attached:

  • all degree certificates and transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate MSc—officially translated into English where necessary)
  • detailed CV
  • details of two academic referees
  • a statement of your research interests.

Conditions

The recipient will need to sign a Victoria University of Wellington Research Scholarship contract and a confidentiality agreement

Closing date

Applications remain open until filled.