Investigator, Biophysics & Medicine Design (Upper Providence, PA, US)

GSK is seeking a highly motivated and creative biophysicist within Medicine Design at the GSK US R&D hub in Upper Providence, Pennsylvania. The aim of this role is to apply and evolve a suite of biophysical techniques in support of decisions throughout the small molecule drug discovery process.

Our department combines structural biology with biophysical data to understand and optimize interactions between drug targets and small molecule hits, leads, and candidates in support of drug discovery across all therapeutic areas under investigation at GSK. We interact broadly with project teams consisting of biologists, medicinal chemists, biochemists, and computational chemists to discover and optimize novel therapeutics. This position requires excellent communication, decision making, organizational, and critical thinking skills. Interpersonal skills and the ability to influence multi-disciplinary drug discovery teams using robust science are critical to our success.

Working closely with structural biologists and protein expression/purification scientists, the biophysics group generates information-rich datasets to characterize biomolecular interactions providing discovery teams with detailed interaction analyses (ie. protein-compound, protein-antibody, and protein-nucleic acid). We routinely use surface plasmon resonance, microscale thermophoresis, hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, native mass spectrometry, NMR, and thermal shift methods. The biophysics group additionally provides mechanistic deconvolution of active compounds and antibodies to help predict efficacy and pharmacology, understand residence time, and select the best molecule for progression towards the clinic. To complement high resolution structural data generated within the department, we apply structural mass spectrometry to characterize target protein structure & dynamics and elucidate small molecule and antibody binding sites.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver impactful biophysical data and insight while working collaboratively across the structural biology and biophysics team and broader project teams to progress GSK's drug discovery portfolio.
  
• Interact with business partners including therapeutic-area focused research units, structural biologists, medicinal chemists, and counterpart technology groups. Liaise and consult as a biophysics representative to program teams.
  
• Design, test, and appropriately scale biophysical experiments in support of large interdisciplinary and translational project teams.
  
• Develop and deploy protein interaction experiments using a subset of available biophysical methods (surface plasmon resonance, microscale thermophoresis, differential scanning fluorimetry, hydrogen deuterium exchange MS, native mass spectrometry and/or NMR) to characterize and measure binding of small molecule hits and leads to purified drug targets.
  
• Carefully design and carry out experiments to deconvolute biophysical mechanisms. Compare findings across biophysical and structural datasets to generate actionable information for the advancement of drug discovery campaigns.
  
• Propose, plan and execute laboratory experiments and advanced data analysis in alignment with the goals of interdisciplinary project and technology teams.
  
• Evaluate, implement, and embed cutting-edge biophysical or structural technologies that provide novel information content or advanced capabilities to positively impact project success-rates or timelines.
  
• Characterize purified protein drug targets using methods such as hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, SEC-MALS, mass photometry, UV absorbance, fluorimetry, circular dichroism, and NMR.
  

Basic Qualifications:

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Ph.D. in Biophysics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology or related field plus 2 years of post-doc experience or a BS/MS with 5 + years relevant industry experience in a related discipline.
  
• Demonstrated laboratory experience in quantitative biophysical techniques, and knowledge of structural biology, biochemistry, and protein characterization.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Strong, independent research background in quantitative protein biophysics: ie. experience measuring binding affinity, kinetics, or thermodynamics of protein interactions, protein folding, or protein conformation changes. Modeling of biophysical mechanisms and data fitting.
  
• Experience with SPR, MST, native mass spectrometry, HDX-MS, NMR, or structural mass spectrometry.
  
• Strong track record of publications in peer reviewed journals.
  
• Demonstrated strengths in high performance behaviors, such as building relationships, flexible thinking, and enabling/driving change.
  

Why GSK?

We're combining the power of genetic and genomic insights into what causes disease, with the speed and scale of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to make better predictions about who a treatment might work for, and why. We believe this powerful combination of data and technology holds the key to fundamentally transforming medical discovery for the better, improving R&D success rates and shaping how even the most challenging diseases, like neurological conditions and cancer, can be both prevented and treated.

In 2021 we delivered four major product approvals: Cabenuva for HIV, Jemperli for endometrial cancer, Xevudy for COVID-19 and Apretude, our new long-acting medicine for HIV prevention.

Find out more:

Our approach to R&D.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose - to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together - so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns - as an organisation where people can thrive. Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it, and we aim to impact the health of 2.5 billion people around the world in the next 10 years.

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