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The Position

In Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organisation (pRED), we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed. This position is located in the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Elimination (ADME) Sections of the translational Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics (tDMPK-PD) department within the Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS) function, where the fate of new chemical entities and biologics is a primary focus. The sections work throughout all stages of compound development, from lead optimization to candidate selection, all clinical  development phases to filing of new drug applications. We closely collaborate with our therapeutic areas and functions to convert hypotheses into innovative therapeutics.

Evaluating the pre-clinical pharmacokinetics (PK) of biologics represents an essential component of our research. We support both in vitro assays and pre-clinical in vivo animal studies to characterize the PK properties of novel therapeutics throughout drug development. When integrated with pre-clinical pharmacodynamics and safety evaluations, these insights help define human dosing regimens, establish starting doses, and assess the therapeutic index. Because biologics frequently exhibit complex PK behaviors driven by factors such as target-mediated disposition, systemic stability, anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) and non-specific clearance, unraveling these interacting mechanisms is crucial for accurately predicting clinical outcomes.

The Opportunity 

• Working as an integral part of the tDMPK/PD Sections, you drive in vitro data collection and advance novel pre-clinical physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling techniques to assess the PK of emerging biologics.
• You perform hands-on in vitro experiments alongside the team to investigate system stability and target-mediated degradation of various drug candidates.
• Collaborating with experts, you test the feasibility of constructing bottom-up PBPK models from pre-clinical results to accurately forecast clinical PK profiles.
• You gain deep expertise in designing, refining, and validating in vitro methodologies aimed at evaluating target quantification, target-mediated degradation, and candidate stability.
• Your role provides hands-on practical experience with cutting-edge in vitro techniques, including high-content imaging, automated platforms, and capillary electrophoresis (CE)-SDS immunoassays.
• You develop a comprehensive, end-to-end understanding of PBPK modeling and its practical application within global pharmaceutical development.

Who you are

• You have a university degree in progress or completed within the last 12 months prior to the internship start date, preferably in the fields of pharmacy, pharmacology, biochemistry or molecular biology.
• You possess practical expertise in in vitro experimental methodologies (such as cell culture, microscopy, high-content imaging, western blotting, and ELISA) alongside strong capabilities in resolving experimental challenges.
• You are eager to learn and explore PBPK modeling approaches for biologics throughout the drug development process. 
• You are familiar with common digital tools (e.g. Microsoft Office, R studio, GraphPad Prism etc.) for experimental planning, execution, evaluation, data archiving and reporting.
• Familiarity with pharmacokinetic modeling, including PBPK modeling, is considered a plus.
• You have strong communication skills and the ability to work in a team. A proactive and strategic thinking style to promote the project is preferred.
• You are able to work independently with minimal supervision and have the ability to solve problems in an innovative way.
• You bring fluent written and spoken English skills, while the ability to communicate in German or French is a welcome plus.

Application Process

• Please upload your CV (in English), a motivation letter with your application, and a certificate of enrolment (if you are currently studying) or your degree certificate (if you have already completed your studies). 
• Non-EU/Non-EFTA citizens must attach a confirmation from the university to the application documents, stating that a mandatory internship is part of the education and be continuously enrolled in their university for the whole duration of this internship.

Additional Information

• Please note that this position is designed purely as a practical internship, so writing an academic thesis alongside it is unfortunately not possible.
• The preferred start date for this internship is February 2027, or upon discussion. 
• Duration: 6-12 months

Ready to take the next step? We'd love to hear from you. Apply now to explore this exciting opportunity!

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.