Internal Job Title: Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Location: Onsite, Cambridge, MA #LI-onsite

About the role

We are thrilled to open applications for our Discovery Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

Come join Novartis Biomedical Research as a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow and support the discovery and development of innovative renal treatments by developing in vitro / ex vivo translational models.

You will be part of our Translational Research & Data Sciences Unit within the Disease Area – exploratory (DAx) department in Cambridge, MA

As part of the Discovery Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will join our vibrant, dedicated postdoctoral community for events, including the monthly postdoc seminars and other scheduled events for postdocs. Fellows are surrounded by a supportive, collaborative community of postdocs and scientists, who would contribute to the acceleration of your scientific growth, along with building your professional skillset, e.g. you will have the opportunity to do a Postdoc Practicum in another laboratory or in a business function of Novartis. This applied research program is up to 3 years in length, with the option of applying for an extension of up to 1 year (pending review by the Head of Biomedical Education & Innovation and the postdoc supervisor).

Discovery Postdoctoral Fellows have a unique opportunity to conduct innovative, interdisciplinary research and are expected to publish their results in leading journals. We collaborate across scientific and organizational boundaries, with a focus on powerful new technologies that have the potential to help produce therapeutic breakthroughs for patients.

Through the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will build your competency as a drug hunter, and as a scientific leader in the field. You will join a professional network that will support your growth as a research scientist, and you will have the opportunity to tackle disease and make an impact, by reimagining medicine together.

Start date: September 2025

Key responsibilities:

As a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, you will:

• Work independently as well as with interdisciplinary teams to conceive, conduct, and analyze in vitro / ex vivo experiments to develop & validate biochemical, cellular, multi-omics, and functional assays to support programs in DAx
• Develop complex cross-organ cellular/tissue models (bioengineered) for early exploratory drug discovery, biomarker, pharmacodynamic, and safety assessments
• Independently troubleshoot issues, analyze, and present data at internal / external forums
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on target discovery and drug development projects

Role Requirements:

• Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering / Cell Biology or related field
• Note that PhD students in the last year of their thesis work are eligible to apply. Applicants are only eligible to apply up to 2 years from the date of receiving their PhD (i.e. PhD degrees must have been awarded May 2023 or later).
• Hands-on experience in developing complex cell models, organ-on-chip models, microfluidic devices
• Demonstrated proficiency in a broad range of techniques across pharmacology / molecular biology / protein biochemistry / cellular assays & analysis [such as cloning, PCR, viral vector transfection/transduction, CRISPR gene editing, receptor-ligand interactions, Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, cell-based assays, flow cytometry, cell sorting, MSD/ELISA, transcriptomics, NGS data analysis]
• Candidate must be highly motivated with a collaborative mindset and have excellent analytical, communication (verbal and written), presentation and organizational skills
• Demonstrated capability to work independently, pay strong attention to detail, thrive in a fast-paced matrix research environment capacity, to adapt and respond timely to needs of research & personnel
• Strong publication record or other scientific achievements (i.e. awards, patents, grants)
• Passion for fundamental exploratory research and boundless curiosity

Desirable requirements:

• Modeling cross-organ / cross-tissue interactions
• Broad understanding of disease mechanisms
• Strong multi-tasking and troubleshooting capability
• Documentation of experiments and results in electronic systems
• Demonstrated proficiency in using biological databases and online resources / tools to analyze protein, DNA, and RNA sequences
• Experience with high throughput screening, immunohistochemistry, high content imaging is a plus

How to apply:

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 5th 2025 for consideration. Please make sure to discuss in the cover letter how this training program will help you fulfill your career goals. 

The starting salary for this position is $87,000 per year.

US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves. #PDX