Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow, Oncology Translational Research

Summary

We are excited to invite applications for the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a unique training opportunity designed for exceptional early‑career scientists eager to tackle some of the most challenging problems in biomedical research and drug discovery.

Internal

Job Title:

Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow

Position Location: Cambridge, MA, onsite

Duration: Full‑time training position of up to three years

Visa sponsorship: Not eligible

Relocation support: Not available

Start date for the 2026 cohort is October 1, 2026. Please confirm your availability to meet this date in your cover letter.

Cell surface proteins play critical roles in mediating interactions between cells and their environment and represent important therapeutic targets in oncology, including radioligand therapies, antibody‑drug conjugates, and immune cell engagers. This three‑year postdoctoral fellowship, co‑mentored by scientists from Oncology Translational Research and Discovery Sciences, offers a unique opportunity to build a broadly enabling surface proteomics platform while uncovering disease‑relevant cancer proteoforms that may reveal novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

• Work with expert translational, proteomics, and microscopy teams using state‑of‑the‑art instrumentation and technologies.
• Develop and validate novel cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry characterization methods in vitro.
• Apply validated approaches to identify and characterize surface protein and proteoform composition across cancer models.
• Investigate how proteoform composition differs across biomarker‑defined cancer subtypes and evolves during treatment response and resistance.
• Optimize methods for tissue analysis and extend findings from cell culture into preclinical and patient‑derived samples.
• Contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and translational biomarkers.

• Co‑create a comprehensive research plan with scientific mentors, integrating emerging scientific literature and innovative methodologies.
• Execute experiments, interpret results, and drive scientific decision‑making.
• Develop and validate novel in‑vitro methods for cell surface proteoform enrichment and mass spectrometry‑based characterization.
• Apply scalable approaches to characterize surface protein and proteoform composition in models of therapeutic response and resistance.
• Optimize methods for tissue‑based applications and translational studies.
• Communicate scientific findings to cross‑functional project teams and key stakeholders.
• Present research at internal and external scientific meetings.
• Publish novel discoveries in peer‑reviewed scientific journals.

The Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to develop the next generation of scientific leaders and power the future of medicine through rigorous research, immersive learning experiences, and implementation of AI tools in biomedical research.

• Mentorship from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts.
• Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities.
• Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries.
• Participation in a global and diverse postdoctoral community.
• Dedicated learning and development programming designed to support long‑term career growth.
• Personalized experiential learning opportunities through the Postdoc Practicum.
• Opportunities to publish research, present at leading scientific conferences, and build an international scientific network.
• Exposure to emerging technologies and artificial intelligence applications shaping the future of biomedical research.

• PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as Oncology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology, or a related field, completed prior to the fellowship start date.
• PhD conferred in 2026; fellowship intended for scientists immediately following completion of doctoral training.
• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement through publications, presentations, patents, or…