Vertex Summer 2025, Intern Comparative Medicine (Boston, MA)

Job Description

The Vertex Internship 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 internship 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 interns,and feel valued by the Vertex community. Not only will interns 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 veterinary student interested in a career in Laboratory Animal Medicine to complete a summer internship 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 career in the biopharmaceutical industry and eventual board certification by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Some familiarity with the use of animal models in biomedical research and the anatomy, physiology, and behavior of laboratory rodent species is preferred.

The internship will take place between May and August of 2025, and will be under the direct supervision of the Comparative Medicine Associate Director of Veterinary Sciences.

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 the rapidly expanding variety of animal models and increased number of personnel working in the vivarium, we would like to refine elements of our veterinary care program for animal research subjects. The goal of the refresh is to enhance operational efficiency and consistency in our workflows, provide evidence-based metrics on animal health and welfare to stakeholders, and ensure seamless communication with scientists and study directors, while maintaining the Vertex Comparative Medicine tradition of compliance and attention to animal welfare.

• Under the direct supervision of the Veterinary Technician (Research Scientist), spearhead a project evaluating refinement of blood collection methods in mice and/or rats (e.g., submental versus submandibular blood collection), including but not limited to measurement of behavioral outcomes, clinical blood counts and clinical chemistry. The intern should be expected to deliver a presentation or create a poster with experimental findings/results at the end of the internship.

• Under the direct supervision of the Veterinary Technician (Research Scientist), assist with full implementation of electronic health records using Rockstep Climb software, including tracking trends for individual projects and animal models; this information may be presented to the site Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee for updates on clinical care and animal models

• Actively participate in weekly vivarium rounds as well as bi-weekly topic review and/or training sessions for vivarium animal care staff; the goal will be to have the intern gradually begin leading training/review sessions with the animal care staff over the course of the summer, and help provide oversight for the treatment of animal health cases in the vivarium

• Review the current treatment paradigms and draft an official vivarium formulary, including treatments for common health and study-related conditions as well as administration of anesthetics and analgesics

• Work alongside vivarium staff to administer veterinary treatments and develop treatment plans, including administration of species-specific supportive care and environmental enrichment

• Alongside the Veterinary Technician (Research Scientist), become proficient in in vivo sample collection techniques and participate in project(s) targeted to support refinements in research animal use, such as low stress handling; may have opportunity to support other research and/or other preclinical sciences departments in cross-functional collaborations and/or initiatives

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree (B.A./B.S.), Associate's Degree, or equivalent in a biological science.
• 6-12 months of experience in a laboratory animal research and/or teaching setting preferred. Familiarity with basic laboratory rodent techniques, anatomy, and behavior is preferred.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• AALAS technical certification (ALAT, LAT, LATG) or Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) certification are useful but not essential; students working towards the requirements to achieve a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or equivalent) degree will also be considered.

• A proven track record of collaborative work practices and strong oral and written communication skills, a familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, is strongly desired.
• Permanent legal authorization to work in the United States
• Candidate must be enrolled in an advanced degree program if graduating before May 2025
• Candidate must be available to work full-time, 40 hours per week from May - August 2025

This job posting is for a temporary role with a third-party agency partner that provides services to Vertex. The individual selected for this role will be offered the role as an employee of that third-party agency; compensation, medical benefits, fringe benefits and other terms and conditions of employment shall be presented by the third-party agency upon offer. The range provided is a reasonable estimate for the pay range for this job at the time of posting. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. The actual pay rate will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com