We are thrilled to seek applications for our Data Science Innovation Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

This applied research program is designed to change the way we approach drug discovery, offering fellows a unique chance to train in Data Science and AI for biomedical research. As a fellow, you will learn to apply your quantitative and computational skills to make a difference for patients and reimagine medicine at Novartis.

As part of the Data Science Innovation 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 2 years in length, with the option of applying for an extension of up to 1 year.

Drug hunting is a team sport, and you will gain experience in Data Science & AI for drug discovery as part of a multi-disciplinary team in Biomedical Research. You will drive innovation by deploying cutting-edge data approaches in collaboration with a vibrant and diverse community of over 300 data scientists globally. The program provides a unique platform to work on real-world, biomedical data at scale, rarely accessible in academia. Seize this chance to be at the forefront of Data Science and AI, and shape the future of drug discovery!

This project aims to perform human genetics-driven target discovery for immunological diseases. The successful candidate will establish a pipeline of statistical and machine learning models to identify causal variants, map them to likely target genes, and describe potential underlying mechanisms. We will apply this pipeline to immune system-driven diseases to formulate clear hypotheses on novel drug targets and test them experimentally.

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 1st 2025

Location: Campus Basel, Switzerland

Key responsibilities

As a Data Science Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow, you will:

• Work independently as well as within interdisciplinary teams to drive your project
• Analysis, integration, and visualization of human genetics with complementary omics data
• Apply statistical and machine/deep learning methods to identify disease associated variants, their target genes and regulatory mechanism
• Analyze omics datasets to formulate and/or support hypotheses generated by ML models
• Effectively collaborate with wet lab scientists to validate in silico findings

Role requirements:

• PhD in Genetics, Computational Biology or a 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).
• Excellent skills in computational and statistical analysis of genetics and omics data (GWAS, QTLS, transcriptomics and chromatin omics)
• Excellent skills in programming, data visualization and reproducible research in R/Bioconductor and/or Python
• Experience with machine/deep learning methods is considered a plus
• Experience in Immunology is considered a plus
• Strong publication record or other scientific achievements (i.e. awards, patents, grants)
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and organizational skills
• Passion for fundamental exploratory research and boundless curiosity

#DSIF

How to apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter by July 15st 2025 for consideration. Please make sure to discuss in the cover letter how this training program will help you fulfill your career goals. 

Accessibility & Accommodation : Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.