Postdoctoral Fellow, Computational Genetic and Safety Data Science

Company Description

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Job Description

Program Overview

AbbVie needs outstanding individuals willing to challenge themselves to find the best solutions for our patients. The AbbVie Postdoctoral Program is one way we are doing just that. AbbVie Postdoctoral Fellows serve as technical experts who investigate, develop, and optimize new methods and techniques to address critical project or functional area needs. Participants will improve existing or develop new laboratory methods and processes, read and adapt literature to accomplish assignments, and should have mastery of a range of experimental techniques and data analysis specific to their area of expertise.

The Postdoctoral Program supports investigational and experimental research where publication is an important component. Participants will be mentored by renowned industry scientists and collaborators at AbbVie and focus on delivering cutting-edge advancements in Discovery, Development Sciences, and Aesthetics which includes fields such as chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical science, and computational information sciences. This enriching training program offers a balance of supervised investigation and work experience in a learning environment that will expose the participant to activities across the drug development process.

We are seeking scientists from U.S.-based academic institutions who can be matched to projects within their area of scientific expertise for this unique 2-3-year assignment. Applicants who are awarded a postdoctoral position will have the opportunity to build a solid career foundation in the pharmaceutical industry while contributing to advancing human health through AbbVie’s industry-leading biopharmaceutical pipeline.

Role Overview

In this cross-functional role, the postdoctoral fellow will develop AI-driven methodologies to bridge the gap between genomic evidence and safety outcomes, addressing a critical challenge in pharmaceutical development. This position sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, human genetics, and safety assessment, supporting AbbVie's commitment to leveraging genetic insights to improve clinical success rates.

Working under the mentorship of experts in genetics, patient safety, and AI/ML, the postdoc will have access to AbbVie's unparalleled genetic and safety datasets. This project represents a key initiative within AbbVie's broader AI strategy, with direct applications to accelerate drug development and reduce safety-related attrition across multiple therapeutic areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, curate, and process internal and external genetic and safety-related datasets, applying sophisticated data science methodologies
• Design and implement agentic AI systems capable of autonomous data querying, extraction, and interpretation across traditionally siloed safety and genomic domains
• Develop advanced data harmonization techniques and standardized ontologies to enable integration of genetic, preclinical, and clinical safety datasets
• Implement graph-based retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) methods to enhance knowledge extraction and information synthesis
• Develop cross-pathway analytical methods using AI to predict safety outcomes for multiple targets and combination therapies
• Collaborate with research teams and data scientists to design data-driven strategies using machine learning/AI methods that support discovery and preclinical safety studies
• Generate and validate experimental hypotheses derived from AI models in collaboration with in vitro teams
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific conferences

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Human Genetics, Toxicology, or related field (summer and fall graduates are also welcome to apply)
• Strong programming skills in Python with experience in data manipulation, analysis, and machine learning libraries
• Demonstrated experience in applying advanced AI/ML methods to biological problems
• Experience with database querying, management systems, and data extraction techniques for large datasets
• Knowledge of natural language processing (NLP) and/or large language models (LLMs)
• Experience with genomic data analysis, including variant interpretation or population genetics
• Proficiency in statistical analysis and interpretation of complex biological datasets
• Demonstrated ability to develop data visualization tools and interfaces for biological data representation
• Excellent communication skills, with ability to translate complex computational findings to diverse stakeholders
• Track record of scientific creativity and problem-solving in research activities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with agentic AI systems, prompt engineering, or multi-agent frameworks
• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and knowledge graph applications
• Experience with semantic search, ontology development, and cross-domain data integration
• Background in clinical safety, toxicology, or pharmacology
• Understanding of biological pathways and their relationship to disease mechanisms or drug response
• Experience with cloud computing environments and large-scale data processing
• Familiarity with topic modeling, semantic modeling, or other text mining approaches
• Experience working with large-scale genomic datasets (e.g., UKBB, FinnGen)
• Knowledge of in vitro safety assays and translational medicine concepts
• Publication history in relevant fields (AI/ML, genetics, toxicology)
• Experience with deep learning frameworks and generative AI models (e.g., GANs, VAEs)

Key Leadership Competencies:

• Builds strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance
• Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated
• Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo
• Creates a learning environment; open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation, and manages to reality

Candidates progressing to the final round of the interview process will be asked to provide three letters of recommendation (including one from the Thesis Advisor) and a letter of intent to pursue the postdoctoral position.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​​

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.​​

• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.​​

• This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs. ​​

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law. ​

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

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