2027 Summer Intern - In Vitro Safety & Neurotoxicology

Department Summary

Development Sciences (DevSci) spans the entire drug discovery and development cycle - from early stage research to drug commercialization. Part of the drug development pipeline in DevSci includes the preclinical safety evaluation of candidate therapeutic molecules by toxicologists and pathologists in the Translational Safety (TS) department in order to enable further evaluation in humans.

We develop transformative therapeutics for patients by delivering rigorous translational strategies and model-informed predictive insights for all therapeutic modalities through the entire drug development lifecycle via innovative experimental and computational approaches.

The Complex in Vitro Systems lab (CiS) within TS develops and characterizes models that have the potential to reduce or replace the use of animals in the assessment of efficacy, biodistribution, and toxicity. CiS works closely with scientists across Roche to develop, deploy, and democratize complex in vitro models. Using a variety of assessments in collaboration with pathologists, image analysis scientists, and computational scientists, CiS aims to provide high quality predictive toxicology data that helps to derisk and/or understand the clinical relevance of potential adverse drug reactions.

This internship position is located in South San Francisco, on-site.

The Opportunity

The Complex in vitro Systems group is seeking a motivated intern to support the onboarding and qualification of a human in vitro multielectrode array (MEA) assay designed for early prediction of compound-induced seizure liability.

To overcome the temporal resolution limitations of conventional optical assays, the intern will optimize 2D human iPSC-derived excitatory/inhibitory neuron and astrocyte co-cultures on high-density MEA platforms to capture rapid, circuit-level action potentials and network burst dynamics.

Key responsibilities include evaluating plating densities and cell formulations, executing acute and long-term compound dosing studies, and analyzing multi-parametric electrophysiological readouts to distinguish specific seizurogenic phenotypes from general neurotoxicity.

By screening a benchmark panel of historical internal molecules and literature controls with known in vivo outcomes, the intern will help establish assay sensitivity, specificity, and predictive cutoffs, establishing a crucial safety de-risking platform for early discovery pipelines.

Responsibilities include

• Onboard and optimize microelectrode array (MEA) experimental protocols for iPSC-derived neuronal cultures.
• Qualify the MEA assay using reference pro-convulsant and non-convulsant compounds to evaluate sensitivity and specificity.
• Analyze complex neural spike and burst metrics to establish robust endpoints for in vitro seizure prediction.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate MEA assay workflows into routine safety screening pipelines.
• Present experimental findings, assay performance metrics, and validation data at meetings.

Program Highlights

• Intensive 12-weeks, full-time (40 hours per week) paid internship.
• Program start dates are in May/June (Summer).
• A stipend, based on location, will be provided to help alleviate costs associated with the internship.
• Ownership of challenging and impactful business-critical projects.
• Work with some of the most talented people in the biotechnology industry.

Who You Are

Required Education

• Must be pursuing a PhD (enrolled student).

Required Majors: Neuroscience, Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, or a related scientific discipline.

Required Skills

• Hands-on experience with aseptic cell culture techniques, preferably with primary mammalian neurons or human iPSC-derived neurons.
• Basic understanding of electrophysiology concepts and microelectrode array (MEA) systems or functional neural imaging.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
• Complements our culture and the standards that guide our daily behavior & decisions: Integrity, Courage, and Passion.
• Familiarity with electrophysiology data analysis software (e.g., Axion Neural Metric Tool, R, or Python scripting).

Relocation benefits are not available for this job posting.

Pay and benefits

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of California is $47.00 per hour. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This position also qualifies for paid holiday time off benefits.

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