Summary
The Fehl Lab at Wayne State University is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to lead medicinal chemistry efforts on a validated, high-impact target: O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). Supported by two new NIH grants, this role focuses on advancing a rationally designed hit compound from the bench to preclinical studies to develop new therapies for cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
Postdoctoral Fellow: Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Discovery, Wayne State University, United States
Designation
Postdoctoral Fellow
Key Details Overview
| Category | Details |
| Department | H1205 – Chemistry (College of Liberal Arts & Science) |
| Employment Type | Full Time, Regular Employee (Research) |
| Salary Range | $55,000 – $63,480 Annually |
| Requisition Number | req3555 |
| Posted Date | August 12, 2026 |
Research Area
Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology, Sugar Biology, and OGT Inhibitors.
Location
Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
Eligibility / Qualifications
- Education: PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related field.
- Experience: Hands-on experience synthesizing and evaluating small-molecule inhibitors.
- Skills & Interests:
- Interest in (and ideally experience with) chemical method development.
- Curiosity about pharmacokinetics and hit-to-lead optimization.
- Genuine interest in translational science, biotech, or startups.
- Strong communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and a willingness to train junior lab members.
Job Description
- Synthesis & Design: Design and synthesize small-molecule OGT inhibitors, building structure-activity relationships (SAR) around the lab’s hit compound.
- Method Development: Advance the lab’s radical/photochemical synthetic methods and use them to access new sugar-based chemical probes.
- Evaluation: Evaluate inhibitor potency, selectivity, and mechanism using in vitro and cell-based OGT assays.
- Optimization: Optimize pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, including solubility, metabolic stability, and permeability, to advance hits toward lead compounds.
- Collaboration & Mentorship: Collaborate with disease biologists to apply new probes to disease insight. Mentor lab trainees in medicinal chemistry skills.
- Commercialization: Contribute to intellectual property strategy and explore paths to commercialization, including potential involvement in a spinout biotech company.
How to Apply
Interested candidates can apply online by visiting the Wayne State University career portal and clicking the Apply Now button.
Last Date for Apply
Open until filled.
