2025 Oncology Bioinformatics Intern

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 Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

Job Description

Genomic Research Center - Oncology Bioinformatics Internship Overview

Envision spending your summer working with energetic colleagues and inspirational leaders, all while gaining world-class experience in one of the most dynamic organizations in the pharmaceutical industry. This is a reality for AbbVie Interns.

This internship opportunity is the result of a collaborative effort between the Computational Oncology, Precision Medicine, and Oncology Discovery Research groups at AbbVie's Genomics Research Center (GRC). The GRC is widely recognized as a center of excellence in various fields, including bioinformatics, functional genomics, human genetics, pharmacogenomics, and the study of multiple population cohorts, with a database containing over 1 million genomes. The GRC's work extends beyond research and development, encompassing areas such as process sciences and corporate strategy. It plays a vital role in our pursuit of world-class genetics and genomics research by focusing on identifying the most suitable targets and enhancing our understanding of not only human disease biology but also the behavior and response of our drugs in clinical trials.

The intern in this role will be responsible for conducting a meta-analysis of pre-clinical datasets to investigate the synergistic effects of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) in combination with immunotherapeutics. The objective of this analysis is to uncover the potential of combining ADCs with immuno-oncology (IO) targets to maximize their synergistic effects in solid tumors. We are seeking a candidate who will primarily focus on analyzing pre-clinical data (both in vitro and in vivo) to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanism of action (MoA) of the combination therapies. The goal is to facilitate the application of these therapies in clinical settings. Additionally, the intern's project will involve the identification of relevant gene signatures, biomarkers, and molecular subtypes that can assist in stratifying patients for future clinical trials. To ensure the reliability and validity of these findings, the intern will also cross-validate the results using real-world data (RWD) obtained through AbbVie's collaborative efforts. This project will expand our knowledge of innovative therapies and how to make them accessible to more patients eagerly anticipating the next breakthrough in cancer treatment. 

This internship will be based in South San Francisco, CA.

Key responsibilities include:

• Consolidate the pre-clinical and real-world data (RWD) sets to create population cohorts for subsequent analyses.
• Conduct bulk and single cell RNA-seq analysis to discover new targets and biological pathways.
• Validate the identified hypotheses by cross-validating them in larger RWD cohorts and conducting a thorough literature review.
• Effectively communicate and present research progress to diverse working groups. 

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications 

• Currently enrolled in university, pursuing a PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Must be enrolled in university for at least one semester following the internship.
• Hands-on experience with NGS data analysis and proficiency in at least one general-purpose data science language (R, Python, etc.).
• Comfortable working with Linux and an on-premise high-performance computing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expected graduation date between December 2025 – July 2026.
• Familiarity with cancer biology and immuno-oncology.
• Proficiency in conducting bulk and single cell RNA-seq, differential gene expression analysis, and pathway enrichment analysis.
• Experience working with version control environments, such as Git.
• Interest in exploring innovative applications of AI/machine learning strategies for biological target discovery.
• Demonstrated aptitude for critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Self-motivated with the ability to execute tasks independently and with minimal supervision.

Benefits and Amenities

• Competitive pay.
• Relocation support for eligible students.
• Select wellness benefits and paid holiday / sick time,
• Opportunity to connect with AbbVie leaders and scientists.
• Availability of shuttle services, fitness center, subsidized onsite café, and a comprehensive pantry program in break rooms.

Additional Information

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html 

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html