Postdoctoral Position in Protein Design and Synthetic Biology for Brain Delivery

About the role

We are seeking postdoctoral candidates passionate about synthetic biology and protein design to join our dynamic ChemSynBio team at IQS - Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. At ChemSynBio (), we harness chemical and synthetic biology to create protein therapeutics and biomedical tools, especially addressing brain tumors.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of next-generation biomedical tools and/or targeted therapies for brain diseases within a collaborative and stimulating research environment.

Brain cancers remain among the deadliest malignancies, largely because therapeutic molecules fail to reach their targets in the brain and often lack sufficient selectivity for tumor cells. Our laboratory is tackling these challenges through two complementary research programs that bridge fundamental and translational science: engineering new strategies to understand and enhance the transport of biologics across the blood-brain barrier, and developing protein and peptide therapeutics that are activated specifically within diseased tissues to probe the tumor microenvironment and exploit its unique features for selective targeting. To achieve this, we integrate computational protein design, bioinformatics, chemical biology, synthetic biology, and experimental validation in cellular and animal models. This work is supported by the European Research Council (ERC), Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and Fundació "la Caixa".

What you'll do

• Develop a project and contribute to other lab projects.
• Close collaboration with other researchers.
• Contribution to an inspiring atmosphere and engagement in team activities.
• Student supervision and preparation of scientific publications.
• Prepare competitive applications for postdoctoral fellowships.

What we're looking for

• PhD degree in a degree related with life sciences.
• Proactivity, creativity, and strong motivation to pursue & publish high impact research.
• Excellent teamwork abilities and communication skills in English.

Nice to have

• Valuable experience - not everything is expected: bioinformatics, protein design, protein engineering, chemical biology, synthetic biology, cell biology, animal handling.
• Strong publication record and international mobility.

What you'll get

• The position is initially funded for two years, with the expectation that the candidate will apply for prestigious postdoctoral fellowships. The group will provide active mentoring and support throughout the process.
• Training opportunities and international conference attendance.
• Space for creativity, with dedicated mentorship and team support.
• Possibility to supervise PhD and MSc students.

How you'll work

• Proposed starting date: flexible

About the company & team

The University Ramon Llull is a confederation of schools, faculties and departments. IQS is its oldest founding member and consists of two major schools, the School of Engineering and the School of Management that form each an administrative grouping of departments and other institutions among which there are three strategic academic divisions: IQS Executive Education that offers cutting-edge and transformative learning experiences to business leaders; IQS Tech Transfer that promotes research with impact, innovation and technology transfer for companies and organizations and IQS Tech Factory that fosters entrepreneurship and supports the creation of new scientific-technological companies.

With 100 years of teaching experience, IQS is a university center of reference, committed to donating responses to the continuum of challenges that the social, economic, technological and industrial context poses.

Our mission and commitment are to cultivate individuals with values and competencies needed to flourish humanely and professionally.

Hiring process

Applications should include:

• Motivation letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the position and team.
• Two reference letters or contact details of two referees.
• Curriculum Vitae

Applicaciont deadline: 15th november 2026

Additional information

We are an equal opportunity employer. We promote equality and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law. We strongly welcome applications from female candidates as they are currently under-represented at this level in this field of knowledge in our School.

We also promote scientific and technological knowledge, business transformation and societal progress. At IQS we look for professionals committed to both these values.