Research Fellow in Biomaterials, Drug Delivery

Position Overview

Auxilium is a biomaterials company developing solutions for tissue infections and regeneration. We are setting the stage for the next generation of biomaterials that promote effective healing and improve outcomes for both patients and healthcare professionals. Our mission is to heal patients from day one. As a Research Fellow in Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, you will join our pioneering team to drive hypothesis‑driven research on bio‑based, drug‑loaded porous materials and contribute to robust experimental frameworks that link formulation and processing with drug release kinetics, biofilm inhibition, bacterial killing, and biocompatibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Formulate drug‑loaded porous biomaterials for the local delivery of antibiotics, antiseptics, or other bioactive molecules.
• Define and optimize release kinetics (burst vs. sustained vs. multi‑phase profiles) by linking formulation, structure, and release behavior through mechanistic and empirical studies.
• Assess processing–performance relationships by varying formulation and drying/coating parameters to understand their impact on drug loading, stability, and release.
• Execute in vitro release and efficacy assays to quantify drug release profiles, biofilm inhibition, bacterial kill curves, and antimicrobial activity.
• Evaluate biocompatibility and functional response via cell‑based assays including viability, cytotoxicity, and cell–material interactions in the presence of drug‑loaded systems.
• Utilize materials and formulation characterization tools (e.g., microscopy, swelling/degradation studies, mechanical testing, release profiling) to elucidate structure–function relationships.
• Design rigorous experiments with proper controls and replicates; analyze data using robust statistical methods and refine hypotheses accordingly.
• Maintain high‑quality documentation, including lab notebooks, protocols, and datasets to ensure reproducibility, support collaboration, and facilitate technology transfer.
• Clearly communicate scientific findings through figures, slide decks, technical summaries, and, when appropriate, manuscripts, conference abstracts, or patent filings.

Required Qualifications

• Current Ph.D. candidate (in the 4th or 5th year) or postdoctoral fellow in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field with a strong emphasis on biomaterials, polymers, and drug‑delivery chemistry.
• Hands‑on experience with polymer functionalization, including chemical modification, surface activation, or conjugation of functional groups.
• Hands‑on experience with polymer‑based nitric oxide (NO) release systems, including synthesis, characterization, and quantification of release.
• Familiarity with analytical and quantitative characterization methods relevant to drug delivery, such as UV–Vis, fluorescence, HPLC, or similar quantification tools, along with basic materials characterization techniques.
• Experience with in vitro cell culture, including viability or cytotoxicity assays and the ability to assess cell–material interactions or the biological impact of drug‑loaded systems.