Summer Intern/ViiV Translational Research & HIV Cure

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.  

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology). 

  

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

Department Description

ViiV Healthcare is a global specialty HIV company, the only one that is 100% focused on researching and delivering new medicines for people living with, and at risk of, HIV. Born out of a partnership between GSK and Pfizer in 2009, with Shionogi joining in 2012, at ViiV Healthcare we are determined to help end the HIV epidemic.  Within the Translational Research and Cure lab, we focus on advancing novel treatments to benefit people affected by HIV.

 

Watch this before you apply! GSK Early Careers Top Tips:

Learn practical advice from GSK on how to prepare a standout application and succeed in your early careers journey: GSK Early Careers Top Tips

Job Description

The Translational Research and HIV Cure team within ViiV Healthcare is looking for a summer intern to test various lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations in a pre-defined suite of assays. The primary goal of this work is to generate novel LNP formulations and determine transfectional efficiency as well as specific cellular uptake of LNPs in primary cell cultures. All assays will be run and analysis performed in accordance with established protocols.

 

The selected candidate’s responsibilities will include, but not limited to: 

• Purify and concentrate preparatory lots of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations using molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and dead-end filtration.
• Characterize the concentrated LNP preparations using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and RNA quantification assays.
• Distribute and label LNP preps into single use aliquots.
• Treat PBMC and isolated T cell cultures with LNP preps using 96-well plate format.
• Run treated cultures on flow cytometry assays to determine LNP transfectional efficiency and select uptake in different cellular populations.
• Analyze resultant data and carefully document experimental methods and findings in electronic lab notebooks or forms associated with assay protocols.
• Attend team meetings and present results to the broader research team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Pursuing a PhD or MS in Immunology, Virology, Nanomedicine/Nanotechnology, or a related field. 
• Minimum of 3 years of laboratory experience in immunology, virology, nanomedicine, or a related field. 
• Must be able to work full-time (35-40 hours/week) throughout the duration of the 12-week internship (May/June-August 2026). 
• Must have an active student status and/or within 12 months post-graduation from a MS degree program. Post-doctoral candidates are not eligible.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with human blood and other donor specimens.
• Experience formulating and purifying compounds and LNPs from stock solutions using dead-end and molecular weight cut-off filtration.
• Experience testing samples in cuvette based DLS or spectrometry assays; Work with conducting zeta potential assays on a Malvern Zetasizer instrument preferred.
• Quantifying nucleic acid concentration using dye-based spectrometry assays.
• Experience working with human blood and other donor specimens.
• Experience isolating and culturing primary PBMCs and T cells using aseptic technique in a biosafety cabinet.
• Ability to run compound and LNP treatment assays on primary cells in 96-well format.
• Experience with running and analyzing data from 8 color flow cytometry assays.
• Documentation of assay results in electronic notebook entries or in report forms associated with the assay protocols.