Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in Transcription Factor Biology

This applied research program is designed to change the way we approach drug discovery. As a fellow, you will learn to apply your skills to make a difference for patients and reimagine medicine at Novartis. Drug hunting is a team sport, and you will gain experience in drug discovery as part of a multi-disciplinary team in Biomedical Research. Seize this chance to be at the forefront of the future of drug discovery!
As part of the Innovation Fellowship track of the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will join our vibrant, dedicated postdoctoral community for events, including the monthly postdoc seminars and other scheduled events for postdocs. Fellows are surrounded by a supportive, collaborative community of postdocs and scientists, who contribute to the acceleration of your scientific growth, along with building your professional skillset, e.g. you will have the opportunity to do a Postdoc Practicum in another laboratory or in a business function of Novartis. This applied research program has a duration of 3 years.
Transcription factors play pivotal roles in regulating immune responses, inflammation, and cellular stress pathways. However, their structural flexibility—often due to intrinsically disordered regions—has made them historically "undruggable." This project aims to overcome that challenge by leveraging novel mechanisms to selectively target these proteins. By modulating transcription factor stability, we aim to unlock new therapeutic strategies for immunological disorders with high unmet medical need, especially in patient populations unresponsive to current treatments.
Through the Novartis Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, you will build your competency as a drug hunter, and as a scientific leader in the field. You will join a professional network that will support your growth as a research scientist, and you will have the opportunity to tackle disease and make an impact, by reimagining medicine together. 

Preferred start date: October 2025

Location: Campus Basel

Key responsibilities

As an Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow, you will:

• Work independently as well as with interdisciplinary teams
• Investigate novel mechanisms for targeted degradation of transcription factors, focusing on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs).
• Conduct cell-based and in vitro experiments.
• Analyze multi-omics data and apply AI-driven protein complex modeling in collaboration with data science experts.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams in immunology, chemistry, and structural biology as well as data scientists.
• Contribute to publications, and the development of new drug discovery technologies.

Role requirements:

• PhD in transcription factor biology or a related field.
• Note that PhD students in the last year of their thesis work are eligible to apply. Applicants are only eligible to apply up to 2 years from the date of receiving their PhD (i.e. PhD degrees must have been awarded June 2023 or later).
• Experience in understanding regulatory complexes using protein-based approaches as well as functional cellular assays.
• Strong publication record or other scientific achievements (i.e. awards, patents, grants)
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and organizational skills

How to apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter for consideration. Please make sure to discuss in the cover letter how this training program will help you fulfill your career goals. 

Accessibility and accommodation:

Novartis is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to all individuals. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the recruitment process, or in order to receive more detailed information about the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to diversity.inclusion_ch@novartis.com, and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.