Post Doctoral Research Associate in Analytical and Surface Chemistry

Location:

Liverpool, UK

Post-doctoral Research Associate role at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Fixed-term appointment to 13th April 2028

Involves leading characterisation of insecticide-treated materials and chemically functionalised surfaces

Requires expertise in analytical chemistry, materials science, and relevant specialist training

Salary and location details not provided

Responsibilities include developing analytical methods and reporting on research outcomes

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is seeking an experienced Post Doctoral Research Associate to support a multidisciplinary research programme investigating insecticide-treated materials and chemically functionalised surfaces.

The postholder will lead surface and fibre characterisation using Cryo-SEM/EDS and Raman microscopy, complemented by LC-MS/MS, GC-MS and MALDI imaging. The role will investigate surface morphology, active-ingredient loading, distribution, retention, physical form and degradation through controlled sample preparation, washing and ageing studies.

The successful candidate will integrate multimodal analytical data to support assessment of product performance, quality and regulatory readiness. The role will also involve developing reproducible analytical methods, SOPs and method-transfer protocols, alongside clear and robust scientific reporting.

Applicants should have relevant laboratory experience in analytical chemistry, materials science, chemistry or a related discipline, with relevant specialist training in electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

• Develop and apply Cryo-SEM/EDS workflows to characterise fibre and yarn morphology, surface deposits, active-ingredient presentation and elemental signatures in untreated, washed and aged materials.
• Apply Raman confocal microscopy to identify crystalline, polymorphic and amorphous forms and generate spatial chemical maps across material surfaces; correlate Raman and microscopy findings where informative.
• Develop and optimise sample-preparation workflows for fibres, polymers and coatings, including sectioning, punch sampling, washing and ageing protocols, with appropriate controls and longitudinal sample tracking.

• Develop and apply quantitative LC-MS/MS and, where appropriate, GC-MS workflows to measure active-ingredient loading and retention and to characterise degradation products, impurities and formulation components.
• Integrate Cryo-SEM/EDS and Raman outputs with LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, MALDI imaging and other complementary measurements generated with collaborating facilities to resolve surface-to-core distribution and chemical change.
• Interpret relationships between active-ingredient loading, distribution, physical phase, ageing and degradation, and relate the resulting analytical evidence to material and product performance.
• Work closely with LSTM, IVCC and Materials Innovation Factory scientists to plan platform use, troubleshoot analytical challenges, review data quality and deliver integrated analytical packages against agreed milestones.

• Plan experimental work against agreed milestones, maintaining complete and traceable records of sample history, methods, imaging and spectroscopy metadata, raw and processed data, and analytical decisions.
• Develop SOPs, acceptance criteria, QC method, method-transfer documentation and reproducible workflows for surface, spectroscopy and complementary analytical platforms, consistent with research integrity requirements.
• Prepare integrated datasets, project reports, presentations and peer-reviewed manuscripts, clearly reporting data quality, analytical limitations and technical risks to the PI, collaborators and funders.
• Contribute to training, knowledge transfer and method transfer across LSTM and collaborating facilities, and support the development of new analytical approaches, research proposals and grant applications where appropriate.

• PhD in analytical chemistry, materials chemistry, surface science, physical chemistry, chemical biology or a closely related discipline.
• Relevant…