Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, Target Identification and Mechanistic Biology for Antimalarial Drug Discovery

About the role

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will join Discovery Sciences (DSc) in San Diego to pursue an innovative research project in biomedical science and drug discovery. They will collaborate with leading scientists in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

Research Opportunity

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge. This Discovery Postdoctoral Fellowship aims to develop and apply innovative target-identification and interactomics approaches to uncover the biological pathways underlying parasite survival and drug response. The fellow will establish a T7 phage display library representing the blood-stage proteome of Plasmodium falciparum and apply this resource to identify targets and interaction partners of next-generation antimalarial compounds. Using complementary approaches including phage display, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and computational analyses, the fellow will investigate protein interaction networks and generate mechanistic insights into parasite biology and therapeutic response.

Why Join the Program?

• Guidance from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts
• Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities
• Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries
• A global and diverse community of postdoctoral fellows
• Dedicated programming designed to help fellows thrive throughout their careers
• Personalized experiential learning opportunities through a Postdoc Practicum
• Opportunities to present research, publish in leading journals, and build an international scientific network

Key Responsibilities

• Design, construct, and characterize phage display libraries representing the blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum proteome
• Develop and optimize phage display screening workflows for target identification and protein interaction mapping
• Propose and execute biochemical, structural, and cell-based validation studies for candidate targets and interaction partners
• Collaborate closely with scientists across malaria biology, proteomics, structural biology, and computational biology disciplines
• Prepare and deliver clear, data-driven presentations that translate into actionable insights and support strategic decision-making
• Publish scientific manuscripts describing novel discoveries, methodologies, and research outcomes in high-impact peer-reviewed journals

Essential Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a relevant scientific discipline completed prior to the fellowship start date
• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement (publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent)
• Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development
• Demonstrated expertise in display technologies for therapeutic discovery, including phage, yeast, ribosome, and mRNA display platforms
• Experience with molecular biology techniques such as cloning, recombinant DNA manipulation, library construction, protein expression, or related approaches

Desirable Requirements

• Familiarity with protein-protein interaction technologies beyond display methods, affinity purification, immunoprecipitation, proximity labeling, or related screening approaches
• Knowledge of mass spectrometry-based proteomics, chemical proteomics, next-generation sequencing, or computational analysis of large biological datasets

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 25th, 2026. In your cover letter, please describe your research interests, career aspirations, and how participation in the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will support your long-term development.

Compensation & Benefits

• Starting salary: 87,000 USD per year
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits
• Generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves

Accessibility & Reasonable Accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please send an email to [email protected] or call +1(877)395-2339 to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.