Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow, Lysosomal Lipid Biology and Neurodegeneration

Novartis is unable to offer relocation support or visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US for the 3-year duration of the program and must be able to work onsite in Cambridge, MA.

About the Role

This full-time training position of up to three years is part of the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, designed for exceptional early-career scientists eager to tackle challenging problems in biomedical research and drug discovery. Fellows will join Discovery Sciences in Cambridge, MA, working alongside leading scientists in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

Research Opportunity

This fellowship focuses on combining cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches to study organelle biology in neurodegenerative disease. The project leverages state-of-the-art lipidomics, multi-omics integration, and innovative cellular and preclinical models to investigate how organelle biology influences neuronal health and disease progression.

• Work at the interface of neuroscience, analytical chemistry, data science, and translational research.
• Gain exposure to high-resolution mass spectrometry, organelle-focused profiling, advanced computational workflows, and integration of lipidomic, proteomic, and other molecular datasets.
• Develop a systems-level understanding of disease-relevant biology through collaboration with scientific, computational, and drug discovery teams.
• Collaborate with leading academic laboratories and external scientific partners to foster scientific independence and expand your research network.

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 to support career development.
• Personalized experiential learning opportunities through a Postdoc Practicum to explore new scientific domains and build cross-functional expertise.
• Opportunities to present research, publish in leading journals, and build an international scientific network.
• Engagement with emerging approaches in AI and biomedical research.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute studies using human neuronal and other disease-relevant cellular models to investigate mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease.
• Generate and interpret large-scale lipidomics datasets using advanced LC-MS technologies.
• Develop and apply computational workflows for processing, visualization, and biological interpretation of complex omics datasets.
• Integrate lipidomics data with complementary biological and multi-omics datasets to identify disease-associated pathways and biomarkers.
• Collaborate closely with scientists across neuroscience, translational profiling, discovery biology, medicinal chemistry, and data science teams.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of novel assays that improve understanding of organelle biology and cellular function.
• Engage with external academic collaborators to apply emerging technologies and advance mechanistic understanding of disease biology.
• Present findings internally and externally and contribute to peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Maintain accurate scientific records and communicate results effectively to multidisciplinary audiences.
• Generate mechanistic insights and translational biomarkers that may inform target validation, model selection, and therapeutic hypothesis testing within neuroscience research programs.

Requirements

Essential

• PhD in neuroscience, cell biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, or a related discipline.
• Experience generating and interpreting complex biological datasets.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in collaborative, multidisciplinary research environments.
• Strong written and verbal scientific communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience with mass spectrometry-based omics technologies, including lipidomics, metabolomics, or proteomics.
• Experience with cellular models of neurodegenerative disease and/or computational analysis of large biological datasets.

Pay

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

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, life, and disability benefits.
• 401(k) with company contribution and match.
• Generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leaves.

Schedule

This is a full-time training position of up to three years in duration, beginning in October 2026.