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The Position

A fundamental challenge in developing new medicines for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is understanding the causal drivers of the disease as well as biological manifestations of their progression. At Roche Neuroscience & Rare Diseases (NRD), we leverage vast, multi-modal human datasets to solve these critical problems and identify the next generation of therapeutic targets as well as novel biomarkers.

As a RiSE student in our Biomarkers & Experimental Medicine group, you will lead a cutting-edge computational project aimed at this core challenge in AD. You will work with an unparalleled, large-scale human biobank dataset, combining ‘omics (genomics, proteomics) and other deep phenotyping data. You will leverage cutting-edge causal inference methods and advanced machine learning models to build a validated “causal map” of AD risk with the potential to directly inform our drug discovery pipeline.

The opportunity

• Employ causal inference methods (e.g., Mendelian Randomization) on large-scale proteomics data to distinguish causal drivers of AD from its downstream consequences.
• Develop and apply advanced machine learning models to identify biological signatures of resilience to AD in complex, multi-modal human health data.
• Integrate findings from causal and predictive models to build a validated ‘causal map’ with the potential to inform novel therapeutic target identification and biomarker candidates for AD.
• Ensure model robustness through rigorous validation techniques and elaborate biological insights by making strategic use of rich phenotyping.
• Prepare results for a first-author publication in a leading scientific journal and present your findings to internal R&D stakeholders.

Who You Are

You are enrolled in a PhD or medical degree program and are a curious, quantitative thinker with a strong interest in applying sophisticated methods to solve critical challenges in neuroscience and human health. Moreover you are/have:

• Currently pursuing a PhD in a quantitative field such as Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Biostatistics, Computational Biology, or Genetic Epidemiology with a focus on neuroscience and human health (Graduated PhD students can’t be considered for the role. Furthermore, you must be enrolled at university for 50% of the duration of your stay at Roche, PhD thesis can’t be defended in the first half of the internship)
• Excellent data analysis and programming skills (Python is a must, R is a plus) and a strong theoretical foundation in high-dimensional statistics.
• A passion for translating complex biomedical research questions into formal, solvable problem statements.
• A passion for understanding, developing, adapting and applying statistical methods from first principles to novel, complex biological datasets.
• Biomedical subject matter expertise (e.g., in genomics, proteomics, neuroimaging, AD, or drug development) is highly desirable and will be a key differentiator between candidates with similar computational expertise.
• Experience in working with large-scale genomics datasets e.g. UK Biobank is desirable.
• A collaborative team player with excellent communication skills in English.

Additional information:

The preferred start date of the internship is January 2026 or upon availability.

Applications need to include a CV, a cover letter, and a letter from your academic supervisor supporting your application to the RiSE Program.

Please note that due to regulations, non-EU/EFTA citizens must provide a certificate from their university stating that an industry internship is a mandatory part of the university training.

Join our RiSE program in the Biomarkers & Experimental Medicine group to lead innovative computational projects, harness large-scale biobank data, and shape the future of drug discovery with cutting-edge causal inference and machine learning! Apply now!

RiSE

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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