Summary We are excited to invite applications for the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a unique training opportunity designed for exceptional early‑career scientists eager to tackle some of the most challenging problems in biomedical research and drug discovery.
Location: Basel, Switzerland Duration: 3 years Program start date: October 1, 2026 Application deadline: July 16, 2026 EOB
About the Role As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will join Global Discovery Chemistry (GDC) in Basel and pursue an innovative research project at the forefront of biomedical science and drug discovery. You will work alongside leading scientists in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment while gaining exposure to the broader ecosystem that translates scientific discovery into medicines.
Our fellows are empowered to ask bold scientific questions, apply cutting‑edge technologies, and develop approaches that have the potential to transform patient care.
Research Opportunity Crystal structure determination plays a critical role in modern drug discovery and development, supporting molecular design, stereochemical assignment, solid‑form characterisation, and regulatory submissions. However, many pharmaceutical compounds crystallise only as nanocrystals or highly heterogeneous materials, placing them beyond the reach of single‑crystal X‑ray diffraction, which relies on sufficiently large crystals.
This postdoctoral project aims to advance and expand the application of 3D‑Electron Diffraction (3D‑ED/MicroED) at Novartis and offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future development of crystallographic methods for challenging pharmaceutical compounds. The Fellow will develop and apply innovative experimental and computational approaches for structure determination, stereochemical assignment, and solid‑form characterisation, working at the interface of crystallography and pharmaceutical research.
Based in the Diffraction Lab in GDC in Basel, the Fellow will collaborate closely with experts in structural and materials science and computational chemistry, contributing to establish next‑generation structural characterisation capabilities and accelerate decision‑making across drug discovery and development at Novartis.
Why Join the Program The Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to develop the next generation of scientific leaders, powering the future of medicine, through rigorous research, and immersive learning experiences, such as implementation of AI tools in biomedical research.
Postdoctoral Research Fellows benefit from:
Guidance from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts
Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities
Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries
A global and diverse community of postdoctoral fellows
Dedicated programming designed to help fellows thrive throughout their careers
Personalized experiential learning opportunities through a Postdoc Practicum that empowers fellows to explore new scientific domains, build cross‑functional expertise, and expand their impact beyond their primary research project
Opportunities to present research, publish in leading journals, and build an international scientific network
This is a full‑time training position of up to three years in duration.
At Novartis, our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Through this program, you will grow as a scientist and future leader while contributing to discoveries that may ultimately benefit patients worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
Bring your scientific expertise and curiosity to the team and advance the use of 3D‑ED to expand structural characterisation capabilities at Novartis
Develop criteria and best practices for the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds by 3D‑ED
Implement and advance 3D‑ED methodologies to stereochemical assignment, polymorphism, and solid‑form characterisation of pharmaceuticals
Drive innovation in 3D‑ED data analysis, structure refinement, and analytical workflows by combining experimental and computational approaches
Apply 3D‑ED to generate structural insights that support projects across Research, Development and Commercial departments at Novartis
Support the integration of 3D‑ED into the established crystallography workflows of the Diffraction Lab
Communicate research findings through publications, presentations, and interactions with the internal and external scientific communities
Essential Requirements
PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a relevant scientific discipline completed prior to the fellowship start date. The program is intended for scientists immediately following their PhD training (PhD graduation in 2026)
Demonstrated record of scientific achievement (publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent)
Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development
Solid background in crystallography with expertise in structure determination of molecular crystals using 3D‑ED as well as experience in single‑crystal X‑ray diffraction
Demonstrated ability to independently collect and analyse 3D‑ED data
Expertise in the crystal structure refinement programs SHELXL and/or Jana
Experience handling complex crystal structures (e.g. modelling of disorder and twinning)
Collaborative team player with excellent communication skills and proven ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary environments, using English as the working language
Desirable Requirements
Experience with 3D‑ED dynamical refinement using Jana and experience with powder X‑ray diffraction
Experience with Python and/or C/C++ programming is an additional asset
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Location: Basel, Switzerland Duration: 3 years Program start date: October 1, 2026 Application deadline: July 16, 2026 EOB
About the Role As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will join Global Discovery Chemistry (GDC) in Basel and pursue an innovative research project at the forefront of biomedical science and drug discovery. You will work alongside leading scientists in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment while gaining exposure to the broader ecosystem that translates scientific discovery into medicines.
Our fellows are empowered to ask bold scientific questions, apply cutting‑edge technologies, and develop approaches that have the potential to transform patient care.
Research Opportunity Crystal structure determination plays a critical role in modern drug discovery and development, supporting molecular design, stereochemical assignment, solid‑form characterisation, and regulatory submissions. However, many pharmaceutical compounds crystallise only as nanocrystals or highly heterogeneous materials, placing them beyond the reach of single‑crystal X‑ray diffraction, which relies on sufficiently large crystals.
This postdoctoral project aims to advance and expand the application of 3D‑Electron Diffraction (3D‑ED/MicroED) at Novartis and offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future development of crystallographic methods for challenging pharmaceutical compounds. The Fellow will develop and apply innovative experimental and computational approaches for structure determination, stereochemical assignment, and solid‑form characterisation, working at the interface of crystallography and pharmaceutical research.
Based in the Diffraction Lab in GDC in Basel, the Fellow will collaborate closely with experts in structural and materials science and computational chemistry, contributing to establish next‑generation structural characterisation capabilities and accelerate decision‑making across drug discovery and development at Novartis.
Why Join the Program The Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to develop the next generation of scientific leaders, powering the future of medicine, through rigorous research, and immersive learning experiences, such as implementation of AI tools in biomedical research.
Postdoctoral Research Fellows benefit from:
Guidance from accomplished scientific leaders and subject matter experts
Access to advanced technologies, platforms, and research capabilities
Collaboration across disciplines and organizational boundaries
A global and diverse community of postdoctoral fellows
Dedicated programming designed to help fellows thrive throughout their careers
Personalized experiential learning opportunities through a Postdoc Practicum that empowers fellows to explore new scientific domains, build cross‑functional expertise, and expand their impact beyond their primary research project
Opportunities to present research, publish in leading journals, and build an international scientific network
This is a full‑time training position of up to three years in duration.
At Novartis, our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Through this program, you will grow as a scientist and future leader while contributing to discoveries that may ultimately benefit patients worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
Bring your scientific expertise and curiosity to the team and advance the use of 3D‑ED to expand structural characterisation capabilities at Novartis
Develop criteria and best practices for the analysis of pharmaceutical compounds by 3D‑ED
Implement and advance 3D‑ED methodologies to stereochemical assignment, polymorphism, and solid‑form characterisation of pharmaceuticals
Drive innovation in 3D‑ED data analysis, structure refinement, and analytical workflows by combining experimental and computational approaches
Apply 3D‑ED to generate structural insights that support projects across Research, Development and Commercial departments at Novartis
Support the integration of 3D‑ED into the established crystallography workflows of the Diffraction Lab
Communicate research findings through publications, presentations, and interactions with the internal and external scientific communities
Essential Requirements
PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a relevant scientific discipline completed prior to the fellowship start date. The program is intended for scientists immediately following their PhD training (PhD graduation in 2026)
Demonstrated record of scientific achievement (publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent)
Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development
Solid background in crystallography with expertise in structure determination of molecular crystals using 3D‑ED as well as experience in single‑crystal X‑ray diffraction
Demonstrated ability to independently collect and analyse 3D‑ED data
Expertise in the crystal structure refinement programs SHELXL and/or Jana
Experience handling complex crystal structures (e.g. modelling of disorder and twinning)
Collaborative team player with excellent communication skills and proven ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary environments, using English as the working language
Desirable Requirements
Experience with 3D‑ED dynamical refinement using Jana and experience with powder X‑ray diffraction
Experience with Python and/or C/C++ programming is an additional asset
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in 3D-Electron Diffraction (3D-ED) Arbeitgeber: Stiftung Weizenkorn
Unser Kunde ist ein hervorragender Arbeitgeber, der in Basel eine internationale Finanzdienstleistungsorganisation mit einer starken Risikokultur und einem stabilen Governance-Rahmen bietet. Die Mitarbeiter profitieren von überdurchschnittlicher Versicherungsdeckung, einem Beitrag zur Krankenversicherung sowie Essenszulagen, während sie in einem dynamischen, analytikorientierten Umfeld arbeiten, das unabhängiges Denken und persönliche Weiterentwicklung fördert. Die Möglichkeit, eng mit Portfolio-Managern und Führungskräften zusammenzuarbeiten, ermöglicht es den Mitarbeitern, ihre Fähigkeiten in der Risikoanalyse und Performance-Überwachung weiter auszubauen und einen bedeutenden Einfluss auf Investitionsentscheidungen zu haben.
