Postdoctoral Fellow – High Concentration Protein Formulations, Biopharmaceutical Development
Location: Gaithersburg, US
Department: Biopharmaceuticals
Our Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to take on interesting, high impact projects in a collaborative, challenging and reputable environment. Do you have expertise in, and passion for, biophysics, analytics, and formulation development? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact the development of high concentration patient-centric formulations in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines?’ Then join the Formulation Sciences department at AstraZeneca and unlock the power of what science can do.
Therapeutic Area Description:
The BioPharmaceutical Development team is a fully integrated global organization. We are passionate and proud of what we do, we’re developing our deep pipeline of new therapeutics by delivering projects from early research to late-stage development. We combine a bold ambition with huge potential. Our innovative team develops high-yielding, efficient production processes for even the most challenging and novel molecules. We’re providing clinical products with stable formulations and developing a range of drug delivery options. In combination with advanced device development, we’re creating medicines that patients want to use. Contribute to our growth at this exciting time and you’ll be immersing yourself in cutting-edge science you won’t find everywhere, in a way you won’t find anywhere.
Research Supervisor:
Vivek Prabhu, Polymers and Complex Fluids group leader, NIST
Job Summary:
In this exciting Postdoctoral Fellow position, you’ll research and develop advanced analytical tools to characterize protein-protein interactions in ultra-high concentration liquid formulations. This project is supported by the Dosage Form Design and Development (DFDD) group that develops pharmaceutically stable, market competitive, user-centric biopharmaceutical dosage forms for biologics, including drug products, drug delivery systems, and delivery devices for clinical and commercial use. The Formulation Sciences team develops robust formulations and optimizes the drug product presentation to deliver patient-centric medicines.
Project Focus:
This project will conduct pioneering research in the development of ultra-high concentration formulations by understanding the role of protein-protein interactions in crowded environments. Our Postdoc will collaborate with experienced AZ interdisciplinary scientists with diverse set backgrounds, and an exceptional research mentor and his team, specifically aligned to the project, to develop advanced scattering techniques and appropriate biophysical methods to characterize proteins at ultra-high concentrations. This work will enable the prediction of protein-protein interactions based on the experimental data generated and a computational model.
Supported by Monica Castellanos, Associate Director at AstraZeneca, you'll also receive research mentorship and guidance from Vivek Prabhu, Group Leader, Polymers and Complex Fluids at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Our Postdoctoral Fellow will conduct ground-breaking research in a state-of-the-art laboratory that is focused on the development of biotherapeutic drug substance and drug product designs, formulations and fill-finish process for therapeutic proteins. You will use advanced scattering techniques to underpin the role of protein-protein interactions, and work with a cross-functional team to develop models that enable predictions of such interactions in liquid formulations at high concentration.
Perform biophysical characterization and/or analytical assays in support of protein solubility, stability, elucidation of protein degradation mechanisms.
Lead and drive the project under the supervision of cross-functional AstraZeneca team and in collaboration with external partners.
Presenting scientific findings to both internal audiences within the company and external scientific community.
Plan, write, publish, and present high-quality scientific papers and technical reports.
Essential Qualifications / Education:
PhD degree in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutics, chemical/biochemical engineering or related field
A maximum of 4 years of postdoctoral experience
Experience with scattering techniques, such as static and dynamic light scattering, X-ray and/or neutron scattering
Extensive knowledge of biophysical characterization of proteins
Basic/working knowledge of programming/coding language and computational models
Desirable Requirements:
Knowledge of one or more of the following areas is a plus, but not required: formulation development, rheology, spectroscopy techniques, polymer physics, machine learning, or data science
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills
Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary, research environment
You will work in an industry-leading group with a strong publication track record, while being supported by a leading external collaborator and his team. Ultra-high concentration formulations have the potential to transform patient outcomes and drive differentiation by enabling the delivery of high doses subcutaneously. Current workflows require extensive lab experiments and time, which delay the development of patient-centric stable dosage forms at high concentrations. By understanding the mechanisms driving self-association and protein-protein interactions in crowded conditions, a rational and efficient approach for high concentration formulation development can be established.
AZ’s Postdoc Programme: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/postdocs-astrazeneca
Life at AstraZeneca: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/life-at-astrazeneca
Req Open Date: Apr 21, 2025
Req Close Date: May 25, 2025
Stages of interview: Applicants are reviewed for fit/skills and invited to each step. You may not be invited to each step. (1) One-way video interview and (2)
Virtual Interview Panel with presentation.
To find out more go to: astrazeneca.com and https://careers.astrazeneca.com/bpd
We anticipate a high volume of applicants, so do not delay, applying today!
Compensation for this role, depending on years of research experience, is a minimum of $99,900 to $107,500 + short-term incentive. Some relocation supplements depend on distance and location at the employer's discretion.
Date Posted
21-Apr-2025Closing Date
24-May-2025Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.
Lead strategic marketing efforts for Hereditary ATTR at AstraZeneca’s Cardiovascular Renal Metabolic division based in Wilmington, DE.
Lead market access strategy for AstraZeneca’s immunology portfolio, driving innovative pricing and access solutions at their Wilmington, DE location.
Lead and oversee complex clinical development programs in hematology as a Senior Scientific Director at AbbVie, driving strategy and execution to advance innovative therapies.
Matterworks is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Scientist to architect and implement cutting-edge deep learning models for biological data analysis in a hybrid work environment.
Lead and mentor clinical research associates at DiaMedica Therapeutics, overseeing clinical trial management to advance innovative biopharmaceutical treatments.
Eurofins is hiring a Process Analytical Support - Separations Scientist to perform cGMP biopharmaceutical testing onsite in Malvern, PA.
Innovative bioanalytical firm Mainline Scientific seeks an Application Scientist with a PhD/Masters and SPR experience to develop and optimize product applications onsite in Malvern, PA.
Quest Diagnostics is hiring a Medical Laboratory Scientist I in Burleson, TX to perform diagnostic testing and specimen analysis following regulatory standards.
Experienced Cytopathologist wanted for AmeriPath's Lewisville lab to specialize in women’s health pathology with a collaborative team.
Dewberry is searching for a skilled Airborne Sensor Operator to work onsite in Tampa, FL, contributing to advanced GIS and remote sensing projects with state-of-the-art airborne lidar technology.
Quantitative Systematic Trading Internship at Susquehanna provides Master's students a hands-on opportunity to develop trading strategies through modeling, execution, and evaluation under expert mentorship.
Experienced Staff Engineer needed at Abbott's Structural Heart Division in Plymouth, MN to lead and manage complex medical device development programs.
Innovate AI research technologies as a Senior ML Research Engineer at Harvard's Kempner Institute, enhancing large-scale machine learning applications.
Lead the Safety Evidence & Sciences team at Bristol Myers Squibb to oversee global pharmacovigilance, risk management, and safety strategies ensuring patient safety and regulatory compliance.
Eurofins Scientific seeks a detail-oriented Stability Specialist I to manage stability protocols and sample administration in their Lancaster, PA laboratory.
AstraZeneca is one of the world’s most exciting bio-pharmaceutical companies. From scientists to sales, lab techs to legal we’re on a mission to turn ideas into life-changing medicines that improve patients’ lives and benefit society. We’re consta...
284 jobsSubscribe to Rise newsletter