Data Scientist – Drug Discovery (New Grad) – AbbVie
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) is a global pharmaceutical company with $56B+ in annual revenues and one of the world's most successful drug portfolios — including Humira (world's best-selling drug), Skyrizi, Rinvoq, Imbruvica, and Venclexta. AbbVie's Genomics Research Center applies human genetics, genomics, and machine learning to identify validated drug targets and develop precision medicines across immunology, oncology, and neuroscience. AbbVie recently launched AbbVie's AI Drug Discovery Platform to accelerate small molecule and biologic drug design using deep learning. We are hiring New Grad Data Scientists in North Chicago to advance AI-powered drug discovery at one of pharma's most productive research engines.
Responsibilities
- Build machine learning models for drug-target interaction prediction — using graph neural networks and protein language models to predict binding affinity and selectivity
- Develop QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationship) models predicting ADMET properties (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) of drug candidates
- Analyze high-content screening and phenotypic assay data to identify hit compounds and build structure-activity relationship datasets
- Apply generative AI models (VAEs, diffusion models) for de novo small molecule design constrained by AbbVie's target binding and ADMET requirements
- Build genomics analysis pipelines identifying disease-associated genetic variants and eQTLs to prioritize AbbVie's drug target portfolio
- Develop interactive dashboards enabling AbbVie's medicinal chemists and biologists to explore ML model predictions for drug design decisions
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computational Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or Computer Science
- Python proficiency with chemistry/biology libraries (RDKit, BioPython, PyTorch Geometric)
- Understanding of drug discovery concepts: target validation, ADMET properties, medicinal chemistry
- Experience with graph neural networks, protein structure prediction (AlphaFold2), or molecular dynamics is a strong plus
- Passion for applying AI to accelerate the development of medicines for serious diseases
Benefits
- Competitive salary with AbbVie RSU equity and annual performance bonus
- State-of-the-art AI drug discovery research facilities at AbbVie's North Chicago campus
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 401(k) with AbbVie matching
- North Chicago campus — near Lake Michigan and Chicago's world-class city amenities