Supervisor: Prof. Cheryl Arrowsmith
Location: Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), University Health Network (UHN), Toronto, Canada
Program: Mitacs Accelerate – Target 2035 Fellows
Position overview
We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, and chemical biology to develop small-molecule chemical probes for novel protein targets involved in cancer, neurological diseases, and other debilitating diseases for which there is no effective treatment. The successful candidate will apply cutting-edge machine learning models to guide parallel synthesis using an integrated robotic platform with direct-to-biology assays for compound evaluation. Through iterative Design-Make-Test cycles feeding Bayesian optimization of compound structure and activity the Fellow will accelerate discovery of novel chemical probes to understand human health and disease and seed drug discovery.
In this unique training opportunity, the Target 2035 Fellow will be embedded in a highly collaborative, international research program and supported by a multidisciplinary project team. The Fellow will work closely with experienced medicinal chemists, machine learning scientists, automation and software engineers, biochemists, and cell biologists, contributing to cutting-edge, data-driven drug discovery efforts alongside academic, industry, and technology partners.
Job Responsibilities
As a Target 2035 Fellow, you will work on the optimization of small-molecule hits into high-quality chemical probes for novel protein targets.
- Application of AI/machine learning-enabled design strategies to explore structure activity relationships of hits and related compounds.
- Synthesis of compounds to improve properties of the hit compounds using an automated synthesis platform
- Development of efficient chemistry for optimized automated parallel synthesis
- Collaboration with UHN/different collaborative centre teams and industry partners to advance hits from screening into validated chemical probes
Qualifications
- PhD obtained within the last 3 years in synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related field
- Strong hands-on experience with synthetic organic chemistry techniques as evidenced by peer reviewed publications
- Excellent communication skills and motivation for collaborative, interdisciplinary research
Preferred
- Familiarity with automation, parallel synthesis, drug discovery, or chemical biology
- Experience with data analysis or scripting (e.g., Python)
- Interest in AI-enabled or data-driven medicinal chemistry approaches
Appointment, Training Program, and Research Environment
This position is part of the Target 2035 Fellows program, supported through a Mitacs Accelerate program. The fellowship is offered as a full-time postdoctoral appointment for an initial one-year term, with the possibility of renewal for up to two additional years, subject to performance, funding availability, and program requirements.
The Fellow will be embedded within University Health Network’s research environment and will contribute to collaborative research aligned with Target 2035, a global open science public-private partnership focused on accelerating early drug discovery through the generation of high-quality chemical tools and protein–ligand interaction data for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Training is provided through academic supervision, day-to-day integration within UHN’s research teams, and participation in collaborative projects involving a global team of academic, technology, and industry partners.
Find more information and apply here: https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/UniversityHealthNetwork/744000103586075-postdoctoral-researcher