# ★ UAEU — Postdoctoral Fellow · Targeted delivery of epigenetic inhibitors

**Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Al Ain) · United Arab Emirates University**
**This is the only live advertised post in the UAE that fits her. Do this one first.**

| | |
|---|---|
| Posting | https://jobs.uaeu.ac.ae/Postings/PostingDetails/5162 |
| Title | Postdoctoral Fellow |
| Research area | *"Targeted drug delivery systems for potent epigenetic inhibitors, with applications in human cancers and neurological diseases"* |
| Term | 24 months, competitive salary + medical insurance |
| **Closes** | **31 August 2026** |
| Verified | Open, checked 1 August 2026 |
| Submit | Online portal — CV with publication list, **research statement**, cover letter |

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## Why this one matters

In plain language: an "epigenetic inhibitor" is a drug that changes which genes a cell
switches on, rather than attacking the cell directly. **JQ1 — one of the two drugs in her
doctorate — is exactly that kind of drug.** Her whole thesis was about building a carrier
that delivers JQ1 into a tumour, because on its own it does not dissolve well, is cleared
from the body quickly, and reaches healthy tissue it should not.

So the advert's subject — *targeted delivery systems for potent epigenetic inhibitors in
cancer* — is a one-line description of what she spent her doctorate doing. It would be hard
to find a closer thematic match anywhere in the Emirates.

## The gap, stated honestly

They ask for a **Ph.D. in Chemistry (organic, synthetic or medicinal)** and *"extensive
hands-on experience in multi-step organic synthesis"* — reaction design, route optimisation,
purification, NMR.

**She is not a synthetic chemist.** She does not build molecules; she builds the systems that
carry them. That is a genuine mismatch with the letter of the advert and there is no point
pretending otherwise — a chemistry panel will spot it in thirty seconds.

The application therefore argues a specific case: a project on *targeted delivery* of
epigenetic inhibitors needs both halves, and most applicants will bring only the synthesis
half. Her value is that she has already solved the delivery problem for this exact drug
class, in vivo, and published it. The cover letter says this plainly rather than burying it.

**Realistic odds: moderate-to-low if they want a pure synthetic chemist, good if the group
has synthesis covered and needs formulation.** Worth the effort either way — it is one
application, and the fit on subject matter is genuinely unusual.

---

## What to send

1. `CV_Dipika_Kalambhe.pdf` — the designed Academic-Postdoc CV, 4 pages, full publication list.
   If the portal rejects the formatting, use `CV_Dipika_Kalambhe_ATS_for_portals.pdf`.
2. `Cover_Letter.md` — convert to PDF, or paste into the portal's letter box.
3. `Research_Statement.md` — convert to PDF. **Required. Do not skip it** — it is where the
   delivery-versus-synthesis argument actually lands.

## Checklist

- [ ] Open the posting and re-read the requirements — it has been live since before 1 Aug
- [ ] Confirm the closing date has not moved (31 Aug 2026)
- [ ] Register on the UAEU jobs portal
- [ ] Convert the cover letter and research statement to PDF
- [ ] Check the CV opens correctly after upload
- [ ] Submit **well before** 31 August — portals fail on the last day
- [ ] Note the reference number the portal returns

## Before sending — two things only Dipika can confirm

- Is the **Mandarin** line on the CV accurate? It is currently an inference from eight years
  in Shanghai and an interviewer may test it.
- The CV carries a one-line note explaining the 2020–2022 hospital pharmacist period as
  COVID border closures. If that is not the true explanation, it must be corrected before
  this goes anywhere.