Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship in Drug Discovery, Aptamers, and Nucleic Acid-Peptide Conjugates at UCL University College London in United Kingdom

University College London is advertising the EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship for newly qualified PhD researchers. The post is being shared by Christopher Serpell, Associate Professor of Drug Discovery at UCL, who is looking for a postdoc to join his lab.

The research interests mentioned in the post include phosphoestamers, aptamers, nucleic acid-peptide conjugates, and the development of anticancer drugs from natural products. This makes the opportunity especially relevant to candidates with backgrounds in chemistry, biology, medical science, and pharmacy, particularly those interested in chemical biology and drug discovery.

The fellowship scheme is designed to help universities attract and retain excellent newly qualified doctoral researchers and support the transition into an independent research career. Applicants must have received EPSRC-funded doctoral support at a UK institution, and their funded studentship must have ended no earlier than 30 June 2025. The doctoral thesis must be submitted for examination before the fellowship start date, and the project must fall within the EPSRC remit.

Funding is available for up to two years. Fellows are appointed to Grade 7 point 31 on the UCL salary scale (pro-rata), and additional research costs may be requested for consumables, facilities, travel, and outreach, with a guide figure of around £10k per year. The award is non-FEC, meaning only directly incurred costs are covered.

The application deadline is 25 June 2026 at noon UK time. Applications are submitted online using the required templates and forms, including an applicant form, referee form, and Head of Department support form. Candidates should contact the proposed host department early, and the application must be written for a general scientific audience.