Co-op - Computational Lab

The job details are as follows:

What We Do

United Therapeutics Corporation focuses on the strength of a balanced, value-creating biotechnology model. We are confident in our future thanks to our fundamental attributes, namely our commitment to quality and innovation, the power of our brands, our entrepreneurial culture and our bioinformatics leadership. We also believe that our determination to be responsible citizens - having a positive impact on patients, the environment and society - will sustain our success in the long term.

We currently have five approved products on the market and a long-term mission of providing an unlimited supply of transplantable organs for those who need them.

Our company was founded by an entrepreneur whose daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. She sought to find treatment options and a cure for her daughter and patients like her. We are founder-led, and relentless in our pursuit of "medicines for life". We continue to research and develop treatments for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, pediatric cancers and other orphan diseases.

In 2021, we became the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation (PBC). Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through (a) the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies; and (b) technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs. At the same time, we seek to provide our shareholders with superior financial performance and our communities with earth-sensitive energy utilization.

United Therapeutics does not provide relocation assistance, housing, or transportation. The selected Co-op will need to be onsite at the Silver Spring, MD office for the entire duration of this co-op role.

How you’ll contribute

This Spring 2023 Co-op will be for up to six months, ideally from January through early July. UT's computational systems biology lab in Silver Spring, MD is building an in silico model of the lung to support drug development. In this role you will assist in the development and implementation of mathematical models of molecular and physiological processes that regulate lung diseases and drug response.

• Conduct research on mathematical modeling approaches to add new features to the in silico lung model; evaluate suitability for addressing research question and feasibility of implementation
• Identify data in the literature and public repositories suitable for training and validating mathematical models
• Implement mathematical models by developing well-documented code using version control systems
• Present plans and results regularly to members of the computational lab and other scientists within the company

Example projects could include:

• Simulate the complex interplay between lung tissue mechanics and fluid dynamics (either air or blood), with a focus on how mechanical alterations due to disease conditions can affect clinical measurements related to hemodynamics and pulmonary function testing
• Apply statistical / machine learning approaches to analyze large-scale molecular data (transcriptomics, proteomics, etc.) to derive insights into lung function and drug response
• Generate mechanistic ODE-based models of signaling pathways relevant to lung physiology and drug response, and apply quantitative systems pharmacology approaches to assist with clinical development objectives

Minimum qualifications:

• Candidates are expected to be actively enrolled in a Master's or PhD program in a science/engineering discipline
• Available to work 40 hours/week hybrid remote and onsite in Silver Spring, MD for the duration of the co-op
• Experience with implementation of modeling and simulation (either PDE-based fluid dynamics or ODE-based signaling models) or bioinformatics / machine learning skills (project-dependent)
• Highly self-motivated
• Excellent teamwork skills
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Proficiency in at least one of the following: R, Python, Julia, Matlab, or other programming language

At United Therapeutics, you’ll realize quickly that it is not an ordinary place to work! When you join our company, you will learn, grow, contribute, have fun, and be challenged... all while making a difference in the lives of our patients.

While United Therapeutics does not require vaccination for Covid-19 at this time, we strongly encourage all employees and visitors to remain up to date on vaccinations and boosters to protect one another from illness. Employees working in customer-facing roles must adhere and comply with customers’ credentialing guidelines, which may require vaccination against Covid -19, the influenza virus, and other illnesses that could be harmful to healthcare staff and patients.

United Therapeutics Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer - EOE Minorities / Females / Protected Veterans / Individuals with Disabilities