Postdoctoral Fellow, Protein Adsorption Full-time

AbbVie Postdoctoral Program

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

AbbVie Postdoctoral Fellows serve as technical experts who investigate, develop, and optimize new methods and techniques to address critical project or functional area needs. Participants will improve existing or develop new laboratory methods and processes, read and adapt literature to accomplish assignments, and should have mastery of a range of experimental techniques and data analysis specific to their area of expertise.

The postdoctoral program supports investigational and experimental research where publication is an important component. Participants will be mentored by renowned industry scientists and collaborators at AbbVie and focus on delivering cutting-edge advancements in Discovery, Development Sciences, and Aesthetics which includes fields such as chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical science, and computational information sciences. This enriching training program offers a balance of supervised investigation and work experience in a learning environment that will expose the participant to activities across the drug development process.

We are seeking scientists from U.S.-based academic institutions who can be matched to projects within their area of scientific expertise for this unique 2-3-year assignment. Applicants who are awarded a postdoctoral position will have the opportunity to build a solid career foundation in the pharmaceutical industry while contributing to advancing human health through AbbVie's industry-leading biopharmaceutical pipeline.

Role Overview

The CMC Biologics Drug Product Development group within AbbVie is a global organization responsible for developing and characterizing drug product formulations and manufacturing processes for biologic therapeutics (antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates [ADCs], neurotoxins, and novel biologic formats) from preclinical development through clinical proof of concept.

We have an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher to join our team and advance our understanding of protein adsorption at interfaces, an area critical to biologics development. This research project will focus on developing a predictive model for assessing protein adsorption risks through the application of both experimental and modeling tools, including integration of AI/ML methodologies. This high-impact research contributes to our pipeline by enhancing the design of antibody sequences and improving drug delivery systems. The postdoc will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, gaining exposure to advanced technologies and methodologies, and will be a key player in positioning AbbVie as a leader in this innovative research space.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute research strategies to evaluate protein adsorption at interfaces (e.g. solid-liquid, liquid-air, oil-water).
• Perform in silico and experimental characterizations of proteins, solutions, and interfaces, including surface charge, hydrophobicity, and structural properties, using techniques like quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), surface tension measurements, zeta potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), reverse-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC), and FTIR.
• Apply machine learning techniques to enhance the predictive model for protein adsorption.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams comprising experts in AI/ML, computational modeling, structural biology, analytical characterization, and formulation development.
• Proactively seek out new information in the literature and incorporate this into individual project(s) as well as the overall program.
• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences to disseminate research outcomes.
• Maintain a high level of productivity and adhere to scientific standards and safe lab practices.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, or a related field (summer and fall graduates are also welcome to apply).
• Strong background in protein chemistry, interfacial dynamics, and modeling.
• Proven ability to independently design and conduct experiments, analyze data, and develop follow-up strategies.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to multitask and meet timelines.
• Demonstrated scientific writing and strong verbal communication skills.
• Global mindset to thrive in a diverse culture and environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with QCM-D, surface tension measurements, homology modeling, and other experimental protein characterization techniques (size exclusion chromatography, reverse-phase HPLC, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, small angle X-ray scattering).
• Advanced computational and data analysis skills in biological systems.
• Familiarity with high-throughput experimental techniques and AI/ML applications in research.

Key Leadership Competencies:

• Builds strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance.
• Learns fast, grasps the “essence” and can change course quickly where indicated.
• Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
• Creates a learning environment; open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation, and manages to reality.

Candidates progressing to the final round of the interview process will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation (including one from the Thesis Advisor) and a letter of intent to pursue the postdoctoral position.

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.