Internship for optimizing brain penetration predictions for novel therapeutics (starting November 2025 or upon availability, for 9 months)

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At Roche, we believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives, and we are fearless in both making decisions and taking action. And we believe that good business means a better world.

That is why we come to work each day. We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all. We do this today to build a better tomorrow.

At Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS), we drive benefits to every patient by selecting the right drug and dosing regimen. During drug discovery, one of our key activities for centrally acting drugs is to understand how well a drug can enter the relevant areas in the brain. For this we constantly seek to improve our in vitro test systems and adapt those to requirements for specific modalities and projects. The goal of this student internship is to establish a predictive framework for the brain penetration of poorly permeable drugs.

In this position, you will

• Refine in vitro systems to accurately measure transporter-mediated efflux of selected molecules, with emphasis on assay reproducibility, sensitivity, and overcoming challenges related to non-specific binding, bioanalytics, and passive permeability limitations.

• Investigate and validate the in vitro–in vivo correlation (IVIVC) between passive permeability and transporter-mediated efflux in vitro and brain uptake in rats in vivo.

• Learn how to integrate optimized in vitro data into predictive models to guide the rational design of in vivo brain uptake studies.

• Collaborate, working under the co-supervision of a team leader and cross-functional experts to establish a robust predictive framework.

• Gain exposure to novel therapeutic approaches aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with life-altering diseases.

• You are a current or recently graduated (within 12 months) MSc candidate with a background in Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences/Engineering, or a related discipline)

• Ideally trained and experienced in cell culture and in vitro experiments

• Familiar with basic concepts of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME), pharmacokinetics (PK), and modelling and simulation (M&S) approaches

To be considered, please send us your complete application including:

• CV

• Motivation letter (including desired start date & duration)

• A certificate of enrollment (if you are currently studying)

• Due to regulations, for non-EU/EFTA citizens, a university certificate is required. This document must attest that an internship is a mandatory part of your curriculum, and must confirm both the necessary duration and your continuous enrollment for the entire internship period. Please attach these documents with your CV and motivation letter.

Roche embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are dedicated to building a team that represents a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

For more information about opportunities for students and graduates, visit genext.roche.com

If you still have questions, then please check our FAQs and videos on https://careers.roche.com/global/en/faq

Tags: PK, ADME, brain uptake, modelling and simulation, in vitro, drug transporter

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