Address
Form of workR-180322: Postdoctoral Fellow - Novel Drug Discovery for Autoimmunity
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Competitive Salary, Bonus & Benefits Package
Do you have expertise in, and passion for, immunology and innovative drug development? Would you like to apply your knowledge to impact drug discovery projects in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life-changing medicines? Then join the Bioscience Immunology department at AstraZeneca and unlock the power of what science can do.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than a global leading pharmaceutical company. At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.
About our Postdoc Programme
Bring your expertise, apply your knowledge, follow the science, and make a difference. AstraZeneca's Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to deliver exciting projects in an encouraging, engaging, and innovative environment. You'll work with multidisciplinary scientific teams from a diverse set of backgrounds and a world-class academic mentor specifically aligned to your project. Our postdocs are respected as specialists, encouraged to speak up, and supported to share their research at conferences, publish papers, achieve their goals.
Make a more meaningful impact in your career, with greater ownership and accountability to make a contribution whilst making a difference to the lives of our patients!
This is a 3-year programme.
About the Opportunity
This postdoctoral position is exceptional opportunity for PhD graduates in biomedical science, as it offers a unique opportunity to make break throughs on new drug discovery efforts for lupus, ultimately benefiting patients and advancing our understanding of complex diseases.
With the independence to lead your own research project under expert supervision and guidance, both from Pharma and Academic collaboration, our postdoc will gain valuable experience in how scientific research is done within AstraZeneca.
Collaborating with leading experts in the field and having access to pioneering science, state-of-the-art flow cytometry, imaging facilities, and high-throughput assay equipment will foster an environment for ground-breaking research. This position will not only expose our successful candidate to the first-hand experience in pharma, but also serve as a pivotal steppingstone for a rewarding career in the industry.
SLE is a complex and chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by production of autoantibodies and affects multiple organ systems in the body. LN is a complication of SLE and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Up to 50% of SLE patients will develop LN and 20% will develop end stage kidney disease resulting in the need of dialysis or organ transplantation. Diagnosis options for LN are limited, and treatment continues to rely on medications with poor response rate and high side effects. Therefore, there is a critical need for detailed cellular and molecular understanding of disease pathophysiology to develop better diagnosis and innovative therapy. Neutrophils are key drivers of the lupus pathogenesis and therefore, understanding the intricate signalling mechanisms regulating the biology of neutrophils in lupus can provide invaluable insights into disease progression, potential biomarkers, and novel therapeutic targets.
Project Focus
Neutrophils play a critical role in the disease pathogenesis of lupus by releasing toxic granule cargoes and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to cause tissue damage. Interestingly, circulating neutrophils in lupus patients are highly heterogenous with functional differences, but the role of different neutrophil subsets in LN remains to be established. Our data support the hypothesis that neutrophil degranulation and NET production by one or more neutrophil subsets is a critical contributor to the pathogenesis of LN. However, detailed molecular mechanisms leading to degranulation and NET release by endogenous triggers has not been carried out. The overarching aim of the postdoc proposal is detailed molecular characterization of neutrophil biology to develop innovative therapy. The findings from the proposed study will not only advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of LN, but also provide novel insights for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Additional objectives of the Postdoc project will be to support the ongoing immunology/autoimmune growth and capabilities build through establishing collaborations and mentorship with leaders in the autoimmunity field to help explore and define new pathways regulating autoimmunity.
The postdoc will report to Sambit Nanda (Senior Scientist), who has expertise in studying cell signalling in myeloid cells and its role in lupus pathogenesis. Additionally, there will be two co-supervisors within AZ Dr. Gary Sims (Senior Director) and Melissa Batonick (Director, Early Development Team Leader). Both Drs. Sims and Batonick are highly experienced in investigating myeloid cell biology including neutrophils in various inflammatory diseases such as lupus. Academic mentorship will be provided by Dr. David Powell, Professor of Medicine at University of Louisville Medical Research Center, who has extensive training and expertise in related neutrophil biology and kidney disease investigation. He has been Principal Investigator for three LN-focused NIH grants, including a recently awarded R01 defining biomarkers and immune cell mechanisms in LN.
This position is mainly based in AstraZeneca Gaithersburg, Maryland USA and partly at the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
What You'll Do
The day-to-day life of our Postdoctoral Fellow will be dynamic and intellectually stimulating. The postdoc will typically spend a significant portion of their time in the lab, conducting experiments related to their projects.
You will collaborate with fellow scientists, and cross-functional teams within the department. These collaborations offer opportunities for knowledge-sharing, idea brainstorming, and gaining insights from experienced professionals. As we are interested in discovering gene/protein signatures, you are expected to work closely with our multi-omics team, precision medicine department and bioinformaticians.
Qualification, Skills & Experience
Our Postdoc programme is aimed at individuals who are either:
Essential Requirements
Desirable Requirements
Reasons to Apply
We expect our postdoc to attend regional and national conferences and publish in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, boosting the individual's academic and professional profile. The chance to contribute to novel therapeutics and improve patient lives, combined with unparalleled career advancement prospects, makes this position an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring researchers seeking to have successful and enjoyable transition from academia to the industry!
Why AstraZeneca
The unique positioning of this postdoc within a pharmaceutical company such as AZ, means that you will be able to access large datasets which are not available in the public domain. Moreover, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that methods and techniques you develop will not only be published but will also be used within AZ after the postdoc position concludes, in real-life projects - and that ultimately the work you do will directly impact patients' lives!
As a key member of a research group and taking a leading role on a Postdoctoral project, we expect regular attendance - a minimum of 3 days per week on the AstraZeneca campus. For laboratory-based scientists, this may be higher.
Given the unique positioning of our Postdoctoral researchers, you may have an additional opportunity to spend some time with an external academic mentor. In this instance, you may be required to spend some of your time working alongside them at their facility as driven by the research project. Your flexibility to meet the needs of the research and the scope of the project is required, and we also look to support you with flexibility in accordance with our standard work policies.
Next Steps
If your passion is science and you want to be part of a team that makes a bigger impact on patients' lives, then there's no better place to be.
This advert will be running from Monday, 30th October 2023 and, we welcome your application as soon as possible, but ahead of the scheduled closing date of Sunday, 21st January 2024. In the event, that we identify suitable candidates ahead of the scheduled closing date, we reserve the right to withdraw the vacancy earlier than published.
Find Out More
AstraZeneca - R&I: https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-therapy-areas/respiratory-and-immunology/lupus.html
AZ's Postdoc Programme: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/postdocs-astrazeneca
Life at AstraZeneca: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/life-at-astrazeneca
This is what we're made of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmFx_jr2eFo&t=2s
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We follow all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.
AstraZeneca requires all UA employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.
Date Posted
30-Oct-2023
Closing Date
20-Jan-2024
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics (e.g. race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status). We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.
AstraZeneca requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
Competitive Salary, Bonus & Benefits Package
Do you have expertise in, and passion for, immunology and innovative drug development? Would you like to apply your knowledge to impact drug discovery projects in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life-changing medicines? Then join the Bioscience Immunology department at AstraZeneca and unlock the power of what science can do.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than a global leading pharmaceutical company. At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.
About our Postdoc Programme
Bring your expertise, apply your knowledge, follow the science, and make a difference. AstraZeneca's Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to deliver exciting projects in an encouraging, engaging, and innovative environment. You'll work with multidisciplinary scientific teams from a diverse set of backgrounds and a world-class academic mentor specifically aligned to your project. Our postdocs are respected as specialists, encouraged to speak up, and supported to share their research at conferences, publish papers, achieve their goals.
Make a more meaningful impact in your career, with greater ownership and accountability to make a contribution whilst making a difference to the lives of our patients!
This is a 3-year programme.
About the Opportunity
This postdoctoral position is exceptional opportunity for PhD graduates in biomedical science, as it offers a unique opportunity to make break throughs on new drug discovery efforts for lupus, ultimately benefiting patients and advancing our understanding of complex diseases.
With the independence to lead your own research project under expert supervision and guidance, both from Pharma and Academic collaboration, our postdoc will gain valuable experience in how scientific research is done within AstraZeneca.
Collaborating with leading experts in the field and having access to pioneering science, state-of-the-art flow cytometry, imaging facilities, and high-throughput assay equipment will foster an environment for ground-breaking research. This position will not only expose our successful candidate to the first-hand experience in pharma, but also serve as a pivotal steppingstone for a rewarding career in the industry.
SLE is a complex and chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by production of autoantibodies and affects multiple organ systems in the body. LN is a complication of SLE and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Up to 50% of SLE patients will develop LN and 20% will develop end stage kidney disease resulting in the need of dialysis or organ transplantation. Diagnosis options for LN are limited, and treatment continues to rely on medications with poor response rate and high side effects. Therefore, there is a critical need for detailed cellular and molecular understanding of disease pathophysiology to develop better diagnosis and innovative therapy. Neutrophils are key drivers of the lupus pathogenesis and therefore, understanding the intricate signalling mechanisms regulating the biology of neutrophils in lupus can provide invaluable insights into disease progression, potential biomarkers, and novel therapeutic targets.
Project Focus
Neutrophils play a critical role in the disease pathogenesis of lupus by releasing toxic granule cargoes and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to cause tissue damage. Interestingly, circulating neutrophils in lupus patients are highly heterogenous with functional differences, but the role of different neutrophil subsets in LN remains to be established. Our data support the hypothesis that neutrophil degranulation and NET production by one or more neutrophil subsets is a critical contributor to the pathogenesis of LN. However, detailed molecular mechanisms leading to degranulation and NET release by endogenous triggers has not been carried out. The overarching aim of the postdoc proposal is detailed molecular characterization of neutrophil biology to develop innovative therapy. The findings from the proposed study will not only advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of LN, but also provide novel insights for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Additional objectives of the Postdoc project will be to support the ongoing immunology/autoimmune growth and capabilities build through establishing collaborations and mentorship with leaders in the autoimmunity field to help explore and define new pathways regulating autoimmunity.
The postdoc will report to Sambit Nanda (Senior Scientist), who has expertise in studying cell signalling in myeloid cells and its role in lupus pathogenesis. Additionally, there will be two co-supervisors within AZ Dr. Gary Sims (Senior Director) and Melissa Batonick (Director, Early Development Team Leader). Both Drs. Sims and Batonick are highly experienced in investigating myeloid cell biology including neutrophils in various inflammatory diseases such as lupus. Academic mentorship will be provided by Dr. David Powell, Professor of Medicine at University of Louisville Medical Research Center, who has extensive training and expertise in related neutrophil biology and kidney disease investigation. He has been Principal Investigator for three LN-focused NIH grants, including a recently awarded R01 defining biomarkers and immune cell mechanisms in LN.
This position is mainly based in AstraZeneca Gaithersburg, Maryland USA and partly at the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
What You'll Do
The day-to-day life of our Postdoctoral Fellow will be dynamic and intellectually stimulating. The postdoc will typically spend a significant portion of their time in the lab, conducting experiments related to their projects.
You will collaborate with fellow scientists, and cross-functional teams within the department. These collaborations offer opportunities for knowledge-sharing, idea brainstorming, and gaining insights from experienced professionals. As we are interested in discovering gene/protein signatures, you are expected to work closely with our multi-omics team, precision medicine department and bioinformaticians.
Qualification, Skills & Experience
Our Postdoc programme is aimed at individuals who are either:
- Within 5-years of obtaining their doctoral degree (PhD, DVM, or MD) - PhD already awarded, or
- Students, soon to obtain doctoral degrees (the PhD must be awarded within 6 months of joining AstraZeneca)
Essential Requirements
- A PhD or equivalent in Immunology, cell biology, physiology, medical science, or system biology
- Immunology, Autoimmunity or Cell Signalling research background
- Effective implementation of standard molecular and cell biology assays (Flow Cytometry, Western Blot, PCR, ELISA) and in vitro cell culture to answer research questions
- Experience with complex dataset analysis and exploration
- Strong publication record of novel and impactful research
Desirable Requirements
- Expertise in autoimmunity or innate immune biology
- Experience aligning and exploring multi-omics datasets
- Use of R or other statistical computing for meta data analysis
- Experience with human primary immune cell cultures
- Multicolour Flow cytometry
Reasons to Apply
We expect our postdoc to attend regional and national conferences and publish in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, boosting the individual's academic and professional profile. The chance to contribute to novel therapeutics and improve patient lives, combined with unparalleled career advancement prospects, makes this position an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring researchers seeking to have successful and enjoyable transition from academia to the industry!
Why AstraZeneca
The unique positioning of this postdoc within a pharmaceutical company such as AZ, means that you will be able to access large datasets which are not available in the public domain. Moreover, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that methods and techniques you develop will not only be published but will also be used within AZ after the postdoc position concludes, in real-life projects - and that ultimately the work you do will directly impact patients' lives!
As a key member of a research group and taking a leading role on a Postdoctoral project, we expect regular attendance - a minimum of 3 days per week on the AstraZeneca campus. For laboratory-based scientists, this may be higher.
Given the unique positioning of our Postdoctoral researchers, you may have an additional opportunity to spend some time with an external academic mentor. In this instance, you may be required to spend some of your time working alongside them at their facility as driven by the research project. Your flexibility to meet the needs of the research and the scope of the project is required, and we also look to support you with flexibility in accordance with our standard work policies.
Next Steps
If your passion is science and you want to be part of a team that makes a bigger impact on patients' lives, then there's no better place to be.
This advert will be running from Monday, 30th October 2023 and, we welcome your application as soon as possible, but ahead of the scheduled closing date of Sunday, 21st January 2024. In the event, that we identify suitable candidates ahead of the scheduled closing date, we reserve the right to withdraw the vacancy earlier than published.
Find Out More
AstraZeneca - R&I: https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-therapy-areas/respiratory-and-immunology/lupus.html
AZ's Postdoc Programme: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/postdocs-astrazeneca
Life at AstraZeneca: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/life-at-astrazeneca
This is what we're made of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmFx_jr2eFo&t=2s
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We follow all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.
AstraZeneca requires all UA employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.
Date Posted
30-Oct-2023
Closing Date
20-Jan-2024
AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics (e.g. race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status). We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.
AstraZeneca requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.
