Please be aware that this is a co-op position runs for 5 months, from July 10th – December 20th. Please only apply if you are able to commit to this timeframe. Also, Wentworth’s policy is that you are not taking classes when on co-op.
This position was found by C&C staff on LinkedIn. If the link is broken, please email us the Job ID# to hire@wit.edu.
The Vertex Co-op Program offers students the opportunity to learn about the pharmaceutical industry from a hands-on perspective. You will be working closely with and learning from some of the brightest people in the industry. When you join our co-op program you should not be surprised to see that our environment is one that is innovative and team oriented, where collaboration is not just a word, and “we are relentless” is in everything we do. Students can expect to be challenged by their project plan, connect with other co-ops, and feel valued by the Vertex community. Not only will co-ops learn about their day-to-day tasks through their specific work assignments, but they will interact and have exposure to our organizational leaders and their teams.
Job Summary:
The Vertex Comparative Medicine department is seeking an energetic, results-oriented individual interested in a career in Laboratory Animal Medicine to join our team in our 27,000 sq. ft., AAALAC-accredited vivarium. The state-of-the-art, rodent-only vivarium is located in Vertex’s flagship R&D site in Boston’s Seaport district, and supports early stage R&D studies to help Vertex achieve its mission of developing transformative medicines for patients with serious and life-threatening diseases. Animal health and wellbeing is considered essential to scientific rigor and data integrity in our facility. The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in a veterinary and/or research career in the biopharmaceutical industry. Some familiarity with the use of animal models in biomedical research and the anatomy, physiology, and behavior of laboratory rodent species is preferred.
Key Responsibilities:
Vertex has expanded into new cutting-edge treatment modalities over the past few years, and consequently, the Animal Care & Use Program has grown significantly to accommodate a variety of new animal disease models in addition to the traditional use of animal models to evaluate the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutics. With our rich and diverse pipeline and rapidly expanding variety of animal models, we are eager to attain an individual that can focus on increased support of our advanced surgical, humanized, and specialized research models. The goal of the co-op is to optimize Comparative Medicine research support modalities by providing key support for preclinical studies in many research facets such as cell and gene therapy and integrated pharmacology, while maintaining the Vertex Comparative Medicine’s goals of flawless compliance and attention to animal welfare.
Key Supporting Objectives:
- Under the guidance of the Sr. Principal Research Scientist / Veterinarian and Executive Director of Comparative Medicine, hands-on immersion into the research animal technical skills program
- Provide in vivo technical support for studies supporting multiple and diverse therapeutic areas, gaining exposure to study design, veterinary care, technical procedures and laboratory equipment
- Help Comparative Medicine adapt to the growing cell & gene therapy pipeline by expanding repertoire of techniques used frequently with these modalities, such as IV injections and surgical model support
- Collaborate and develop strategic partnerships in refinements such as alternative blood collection techniques; this may lead to opportunities for a poster, presentation and/or peer-reviewed publication
- Assist with data acquisition and entry, including report preparation of data collected during the in-life phase of a study; provide study directors with proper documentation of any protocol deviations; execute studies using good documentation practices and adherence to all facility guidelines, policies and SOPs
- Under the guidance of Comparative Medicine staff, learn about and help manage disease surveillance and colony health management, including drafting updated signage for vivarium use
- Interpret data and analytics to support Comparative Medicine resources and drive focused training initiatives based on stakeholder needs
- Ensure compliance with required regulations and consistently follows Vertex procedures and policies