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Call for Novartis Innovation Fellows – Application Open

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Novartis logo: a global healthcare company

The Novartis Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship offers aspiring drug hunters a unique opportunity to join our teams at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), the innovation engine of Novartis. Mentored by experienced NIBR scientists, Innovation Fellows will gain first-hand experience in the design and development of breakthrough therapies and innovative technologies. We are looking for Innovation Fellows who will harness their scientific creativity and natural curiosity to help bring transformative treatments to patients.

Program highlights

  • Program duration: 2-3 years
  • Mentorship & access to technology: Innovation Fellows will drive a multi-year research project under the mentorship of distinguished NIBR scientists and have access to NIBR state-of-the-art technology platforms to achieve their research goals 
  • Curriculum: at the start of their Fellowship, Innovation Fellows will attend a comprehensive training series (boot camp), including dedicated courses covering the fundamentals of drug discovery and development as well as a communication skill workshop
  • Short-term rotations: Innovation Fellows will participate in a tailored rotation schedule in both scientific and business-related disciplines to broaden their exposure and skillset 
  • Fireside chats with local leading scientists and entrepreneurs 
  • Community: Innovation Fellows will join our vibrant postdoctoral community for dedicated events, including the monthly postdoctoral seminars and our annual Research Day Symposium 

Who are the Innovation Fellows?

  • Early-career scientists (MD and/or PhD), with terminal degree received within the last 3 years (students graduating in the next 5 months are eligible to apply)
  • Dedicated to translating scientific discoveries into medicines that improve human health 
  • All scientific and technical disciplines welcome (biology, chemical biology, chemistry, computational and data sciences, and more)
  • Strong publication record or other scientific achievements (i.e. awards, patents) 
  • Entrepreneurial mindset and boundless curiosity

How to Apply

  • To apply for the Innovation Fellowship at either our Basel (CH) or Cambridge, MA (US) site, please use this link: https://nibr-bei.smapply.io/ and select the relevant program. This on-line application process requires uploading a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and cover letter in a pdf file format. In the cover letter, please include a potential area of unmet medical need where you believe you could make an impact.
  • We will accept applications from March 1 to April 14, 2021 for our Cambridge, MA site and from March 1 to April 29, 2021 for our Basel site.
  • Applicants will receive an automated email notification that their application has been received. All applications will be evaluated by a review team comprised of NIBR discipline experts. Candidates selected as finalists will be invited for an all-day virtual interview in May/June 2021. New Innovation Fellows will be expected to start in September 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact us at nibr.postdoc@novartis.com.

Sign up to provide a critical mentored virtual research experience for URMs this summer

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Future applicants with under-represented identities in science and medicine (URiM) are experiencing significant setbacks in applying to combined degree programs this year and beyond. This problem has been significantly exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Virtual Summer Research Program (VSRP) through the American Physician Scientists Association (APSA), a program led by the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion committee, is hoping to bridge this gap, and we need your help!

In 2020 we paired 150+  mentors, principal investigators and graduate students with premedical and pre-graduate trainees for mentored research experiences. In 2021, we are hoping to pair 200 URiMs (we anticipate 600+ will apply). Ultimately, we hope to increase diversity by expanding access to dual degree programs to those whose previous research experience was limited by socio-economic factors–and for this, we are asking graduate students, post-docs, and principal investigators in any lab or research group to sign up as mentors for this virtual research experience from June 14th to August 6th 2021. Visit https://www.physicianscientists.org/page/VSRP-2021 to learn more and sign up (note that your PI must sign-off although non-PIs can certainly mentor!). The deadline is May 1st, 11:59pm.

If we want the next generation of scientists to be diverse, we must participate in uplifting URiM applicants that are facing compounded roadblocks due to COVID-19 and ongoing racial and economic disparities that plague our nation. If you are asking yourself, what can I do to increase diversity in biomedical research? Well, this!

Penn INSPIRE Event – What INSPIRES you?

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The Penn Interdisciplinary Network for Scientists Promoting Inclusion, Retention and Equity (Penn INSPIRE) would like to invite the BGS community to our inaugural event, “What INSPIRES you?” on March 31, 2021 from 6:30 to 7:30PM. Our distinguished panelists will describe what has inspired them to pursue their career paths, their journeys navigating academia as URM individuals, bumps along the road and how they remain motivated in the face of challenges. There will be an open floor Q&A at the end of the panel.

Please RSVP using this link (http://tinyurl.com/InspirePanel) to receive a zoom invitation.

Neuroscience Public Lecture

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Penn Neuroscience graduate students are hosting a public lecture entitled “Neuroinflammation: The Brain’s Defense Mechanism” which will feature 15-minute TED style talks from three Philadelphia-area neuroscience faculty members: 

  • Dr. Chris Bennett  – University of Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Jennifer Orthmann-Murphy  – University of Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Elena Blanco-Suárez – Jefferson University

Date & Time: Tuesday, April 20th, 6:00pm EST
Location: Crowdcast Virtual Platform

Check-in and a fun neuroscience demonstration will begin at 6pm. Please see the attached flyer for more details. 

Please register for the event here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/neurolecture/register

See you there!

The Public Lecture Planning Committee
University of Pennsylvania
phillyneurolecture@gmail.com

Postdoctoral Positions – Elovitz Laboratory

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Michal A. Elovitz | Penn Institute for Immunology | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania


Two postdoctoral positions are available in Dr. Michal Elovitz’s laboratory  to investigate the host immune-microbial interactions in the reproductive tract. The grant focuses on addressing fundamental questions regarding the ability of vaginal microbes to ascend into the uterine cavity, the molecular mechanisms that govern microbial interactions with epithelial barriers in the reproductive tract and probes how microbial-immune pathways modulate the biomechanics of the cervix.

The project includes the use of our unique mouse model of preterm birth (survival surgery) and established pregnant models using microbes relevant to human reproduction. The scientific team includes expertise in reproductive biology, microbiology, infectious disease and engineering.

The laboratory is a highly collaborative one with sharing of ideas, models and experiments across fields.

The position is federally supported by two NIH-NICHD R01 grants. Our research group studies interactions between the host immune system and the cervical vaginal microbiome with the goal of revealing essential biological mechanisms that drive adverse reproductive outcomes.  The Elovitz Research Program supports bench to bedside research with additional NIH R01 grants supporting translational cohorts for which human biospecimens can be utilized to inform and validate findings at the bench.

The Elovitz research laboratory encourages women and underrepresented minorities to apply.

Please forward a cover letter, an updated c.v. including a list of your publications, and the names/addresses of 3 references to elovitz@pennmedicine.upenn.edu