Summer 2009 Internship Opportunity with Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines for life-threatening diseases. Its California branch has an internship program for doctoral students whose research involves infectious agents and/or protein science. Students interested in an internship with Gilead may apply for the Summer 2009 internship position, which begins in mid- to late-May.. The position offers a unique research experience in a private industry setting along with a competitive stipend of approximately $30 per hour, travel expenses (mileage to drive to facility or one round-trip airfare), and assistance with housing. The housing options include a corporate apartment, studio or 1 bedroom, depending on availability, or a $2,000/month stipend to use however the intern wants. One internship will be awarded on a competitive basis. (Note: Gilead Interns are paid by a 3rd party payroll company named Aeroteck Scientific.)
Project Description— Summer Intern in Biophysics
This position will be located within the Biophysics group in the Biology department at Gilead Sciences. The candidate will have an opportunity to learn a spectrum of label-free binding technologies such as Surface Plasmon Resonance, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry. These label-free binding technologies will be used to characterize the interaction of small molecules with protein targets. The candidate will be measuring binding affinities, binding rates, protein stability shifts, and binding thermodynamics of drug candidate compounds in an in vitro setting. An independent internship project within ongoing drug discovery research efforts will be defined, depending on the skill set and interests of the selected applicant. Candidate should be self motivated and have an interest in bi-molecular interactions, scientific instrumentation, and drug discovery. Proficiency in MS Office applications is required; familiarity with other data analysis programs such as Origin, KaleidaGraph, etc. is desired.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for a Gilead Internship, a graduate student must have successfully completed all Ph.D. program coursework and passed preliminary examinations as of April 1, 2009. In addition, the candidate must have the support of his/her major advisor to participate in the internship. Questions should be directed to Dr. Pat Sturko (psturko@wsu.edu) at the Graduate School.
Application Process
Interested WSU graduate students should submit the following application materials to the Graduate School by April 10, 2009 to be considered:
- Letter of research interest as it relates to one or both of the attached Gilead project descriptions; include your professional goals for the internship experience
- Your curriculum vitae with contact information, including an email address, current phone number, department, program of study, and name of major advisor A signed letter of support from your major advisor (program director or department chair if your advisor is not available) submitted as a PDF
- Candidates whose applications are selected in the pre-screening process will receive a telephone interview from the Gilead Science director, and then possibly participate in an on-site interview as part of the final selection process.
E-mail questions and applications to Dr. Pat Sturko, Associate Dean at the Graduate School.