Assistant Research Officer/Research Officer in Antiviral Drug Discovery

Applications are invited for appointment as Assistant Research
Officer/Research Officer in the Department of Microbiology, School
of Clinical Medicine (Ref.: 537726), to commence as soon as
possible on a one-year temporary basis or a two-year fixed-term
basis, with the possibility of renewal subject to funding
availability and satisfactory performance.

We are recruiting an Assistant Research Officer/Research Officer to
join an antiviral drug discovery project focused on developing
small-molecule approaches to target conserved viral RNA
elements.

Requirements

Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree and have at least 3 years
of relevant postdoctoral research experience working on related
projects. Prior experience in virology is preferred. They should
demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with
a proven ability to work effectively both independently and within
multidisciplinary teams.

We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in
medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, RNA structural biology,
RNA–small molecule interactions, computational chemistry,
cheminformatics, or AI-assisted virtual drug screening. Experience
in RNA-targeted therapeutics, molecular docking, RNA binding
assays, structure–activity relationship analysis, or computational
drug discovery would be highly advantageous.

Duties

The appointee will contribute to viral RNA target analysis, RNA
structure modeling, virtual screening, compound prioritization,
small-molecule design, assay development, and early-stage drug
discovery. He/She will lead and execute end-to-end research
projects in RNA-targeted therapeutics, antiviral drug discovery,
medicinal chemistry, RNA structural biology, computational drug
screening. He/She will design and implement translational research
strategies and also conduct biostatistical analysis to interpret
experimental data. He/She will be expected to collaborate closely
with colleagues, proactively share knowledge, and consistently
deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced and deadline-driven
research environment.

The appointee will work mainly in the Hong Kong Science Park but
occasionally in HKU.

What We Offer

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and
experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical
benefits. The appointment on fixed terms will attract a
contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement
benefits scheme at 15% of basic salary for Research Officer; 10% of
basic salary for Assistant Research Officer. Housing benefits will
also be provided to Research Officer as applicable.

How to apply

The University only accepts online application for the above post.
Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date C.V. Review
of applications will start from November 9, 2026 and continue until
December 31, 2026 , or until the post is filled, whichever
is earlier.

Advertised: Oct 23, 2026 (HK Time)

Applications close: Dec 31, 2026 (HK Time)