AI Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Pathology

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
Start date: November 1, 2026 or earlier
Application deadline: September 10, 2026 EOB

About the Role

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will join the AI & Innovation team within Oncology Data Science at Novartis 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

Working closely with pathologists, translational scientists, and drug discovery teams, you will gain exposure to the end-to-end oncology research process, from biological hypothesis generation and biomarker discovery to translational decision-making. Your project will focus on advancing AI-enabled digital pathology approaches to extract clinically and biologically meaningful insights from complex tissue imaging datasets, including H&E, IHC, multiplex immunofluorescence, and spatial transcriptomics. In close collaboration with computational, pathology, and translational teams, you will help identify robust image-derived biomarkers and interpret spatial and cellular patterns in the tumor microenvironment to support next-generation oncology therapeutics.

Why Join the Program?

The Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to develop the next generation of scientific leaders and power the future of medicine through rigorous research, and immersive learning experiences, including the 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 empower 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

We are entering a new era of biomedical research breakthroughs through the convergence of biology, technology, and artificial intelligence tools, and fellows are also supported in engaging with these emerging approaches.

This is a full-time training position of up to three years in duration.

Reimagining Medicine Together

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

• Develop and apply AI approaches to extract insights from digital pathology imaging datasets (e.g., H&E, IHC, mIF, Spatial transcriptomics).
• Work with foundational models, including pre-trained, self-supervised, multi-purpose, and multi-modal models to advance generative AI applications in drug discovery.
• Collaborate with pathologists and translational teams to interpret image-derived biomarkers and biological findings.
• Contribute to scientific publications and present results at internal and external scientific conferences.

Essential Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) in а relevant scientific discipline, completed prior to the fellowship start date. The program is intended for scientists immediately following their PhD training (graduated in 2026).
• Demonstrated record of scientific achievement (publications, presentations, patents, or equivalent)
• Strong commitment to learning, innovation, and professional development
• Experience analyzing imaging data (e.g. H&E, IHC, multiplex IF, spatial transcriptomics).
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: generative AI, digital pathology foundation models, geometric deep learning and / or multi-modal learning.
• Excellent programming skills and proficiency in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, with openness to learning new tools and technologies.

Desirable Requirements

• Prior experience with analysing multi-modal data, including digital pathology.

Important

Please submit your CV and cover letter by 10th September.

In your cover letter, please describe your research interests, career aspirations, and how participation in the Novartis Biomedical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will support your long-term development.

The start date for the 2026 Novartis BR Postdoctoral Fellowship Program cohort is November 1, 2026. Please confirm your availability to meet this date in your cover letter.

Please note that we can only accept applicants who are eligible to work in Switzerland.

Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together?

Benefits and Rewards: Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.
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