Vertex Fall Co-op 2026, Predictive and Investigative Safety Assessment

Vertex Pharmaceuticals•San Diego, CA

44d•$33 - $50•Onsite

About The Position

Kickstart Your Career at Vertex! Are you ready to make a real impact? At Vertex, our mission is to tackle serious diseases and to change lives, for the better, for the future. Our aim is to give you the skills, insights, and career guidance to be an important part of that future; to turn your potential into progression. As a Vertex intern or co-op, you’ll work on meaningful projects, collaborate with talented teams, and learn from industry leaders. We’re passionate about innovation, inclusion, and supporting your growth—inside and outside the lab. Why Vertex? Real Projects: You’ll work on assignments that make a real impact, not just busy work. Mentorship & Networking: Connect with leaders and peers who want to see you succeed through professional networks, connections, and collaborations that will shape your longer-term career. Flexible & Supportive: We offer flexible work options with Flex @ Vertex and prioritize your wellbeing. Inclusive Culture: Collaboration and inclusion are embedded in everything we do. Career Launchpad: Build skills, explore career paths, and get guidance for your future career. Ready to apply? Submit your application and let’s turn possibilities into reality! Important Notice Regarding Internship and Co-op Inquiries At Vertex Pharmaceuticals, we are committed to providing a fair and structured recruitment process for all students interested in internship and co-op opportunities. To ensure consistency and equity, all student applications must go through our Early Talent Acquisition Team. Due to the high volume of interest, we are unable to respond to individual solicitation. Direct solicitation to Vertex employees- including senior leaders via email will result in removal from the recruiting process. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in Vertex. To be considered for internship or co-op roles, please apply directly through our official application channels. ( https://www.vrtx.com/careers/career-growth-and-opportunities/co-ops/ ) Thank you for respecting our process and helping us maintain a fair experience for all candidates. Your Impact The Predictive and Investigative Safety Assessment Co-op program is a 6-month experiential training program for students currently working towards a PhD in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Computational Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, or other related fields. If you are passionate, collaborative, and growth-minded, a co-op at Vertex will help you gain meaningful experience in our Preclinical Safety Assessment functional areas and serve as a launchpad for your career. The application deadline for this co-op is April 3rd. Please note that Vertex reviews applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to close this job posting prior to the listed deadline. Applicants can expect to receive an update about their application before or shortly after the application deadline. What you will be doing: The Predictive and Investigative Safety Assessment group (PISA) is looking for a co-op to assist with the development and implementation of in silico and in vitro models to support organ-specific toxicity assessment. The successful candidate will 1) identify key molecular pathways and biomarkers related to preclinical liver toxicity through computational approaches, and 2) support the translation of identified in vivo markers to complex cell models in vitro. We are looking for a candidate with a strong background in computational modeling and liver cell culture. The assignment potentially includes one or a combination of the following responsibilities: The candidate will build and optimize computational models with the goal of refining transcriptomic markers of liver injury and developing in silico and in vitro screening tools for liver toxicity assessment. The candidate will relate in vivo gene expression signatures predictive of injuries to transcriptomic data derived from in vitro liver systems. The candidate will develop complex cell cultures and validate gene expression changes using qPCR or Luminex panels and functional changes using high-content imaging to build in vitro-in vivo correlation of identified markers. Expected day-to-day duties: The candidate will be expected to apply best practices and document their computational and experimental work. The candidate will regularly present their progress in formal and informal settings to colleagues. The candidate will interface with colleagues in PISA as well as other functional departments, including Data & Computational Sciences, Pharmacology, Formulation, and DMPK. The candidate must have the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.

Requirements

Pursuing a PhD in any of the following areas: biology, biomedical sciences, computational biology, molecular biology, cell biology, or related fields.
Extensive experiences in statistics and computational modeling (e.g., machine learning or systems biology) in the context of biomarker discovery.
Strong proficiency with complex cell models (e.g. 3D culture, organoids, 2.5D culture, microphysiological systems) using primary and/or stem cell culture techniques.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
Capacity to work full-time onsite in San Diego, CA.
Legal authorization to work in the United States, now and in the future. Please note that Vertex does not provide sponsorship for internships or entry level roles within this part of the organization.
You must be enrolled in an advanced degree program if graduating before December 2026.
You must be available to work full-time, 40 hours per week from July – December 2026.

Nice To Haves

Experience with liver cells in 2D and/or complex liver culture.
Experience with qPCR, immunofluorescence, confocal imaging.
Experience with supervised learning using high-dimensional omics data.
Knowledge of one or more of the following: toxicology, preclinical safety, data analytics, bioinformatics.

Responsibilities

The candidate will build and optimize computational models with the goal of refining transcriptomic markers of liver injury and developing in silico and in vitro screening tools for liver toxicity assessment.
The candidate will relate in vivo gene expression signatures predictive of injuries to transcriptomic data derived from in vitro liver systems.
The candidate will develop complex cell cultures and validate gene expression changes using qPCR or Luminex panels and functional changes using high-content imaging to build in vitro-in vivo correlation of identified markers.
The candidate will be expected to apply best practices and document their computational and experimental work.
The candidate will regularly present their progress in formal and informal settings to colleagues.
The candidate will interface with colleagues in PISA as well as other functional departments, including Data & Computational Sciences, Pharmacology, Formulation, and DMPK.
The candidate must have the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.