Associate Director, Quantitative Systems Pharmacology

Opportunity Spotlight: Associate Director, Quantitative Systems Pharmacologist Lead at GSK

For accomplished professionals at the forefront of drug development, this Associate Director position within GSK's Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Medicine (CPQM) presents a compelling career advancement. Situated within the Respiratory, Immunology, and Inflammation Research Unit, this role is integral to a newly established organization poised to become a global Centre of Excellence in Model-Informed Drug Development (MIDD).

What Makes This Opportunity Stand Out?

• Pioneering MIDD: This is your chance to contribute to the core of a forward-thinking MIDD strategy. CPQM uniquely integrates clinical pharmacology, digital medicine, translational imaging, and mechanistic & systems modeling. By joining this team, you will be at the vanguard of transforming drug discovery and development through scientific innovation and cutting-edge technology.
• Impactful Disease Areas: The role is deeply involved with GSK's rapidly expanding portfolio in Respiratory, Inflammation, and Immunology diseases. This offers a significant opportunity to make a profound impact on patient lives by developing novel treatments for critical unmet medical needs.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: You will thrive in a highly collaborative environment, working alongside a diverse group of experts including biologists, clinicians, clinical pharmacologists, pharmacometricians, statisticians, AIML specialists, imaging experts, and biomarker scientists. This cross-functional synergy is key to driving successful R&D programs.
• Advanced Modeling Expertise: This position demands and fosters advanced skillsets in mechanistic mathematical modeling, Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP), Quantitative Systems Toxicology (QST), scientific Machine Learning (ML), inverse problems, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AIML). You will have the opportunity to apply and enhance these sophisticated methodologies to solve complex drug development challenges.
• End-to-End Involvement: From exploratory research through clinical development, you will play a critical role in driving the integration of model-informed drug discovery and development. This includes defining, implementing, and coordinating QSP and QST strategies and providing expert input into clinical pharmacology evidence generation.
• Visionary Leadership: As a Lead, you will not only build and guide model development but also shape the scientific and technical strategy for QSP and QST initiatives, with an 18-24 month planning horizon. This is an opportunity to bring your vision to life and influence the future of R&D at GSK.
• Commitment to Innovation: GSK's R&D is committed to delivering more innovation, better and faster, by leveraging new data and platform technologies. This role is at the heart of this mission, enabling you to contribute to significant advancements in patient care.

Key Considerations for Aspiring Candidates:

• Required Background: Candidates should possess a PhD, MD, or PharmD (or equivalent doctoral degree) with substantial experience in mechanistic modeling and simulation, systems biology, and their application in pharmaceutical R&D.
• Technical Proficiency: Proven experience in building mechanistic mathematical models is essential. Desired expertise includes scientific ML, inverse problems, AIML, and/or statistical methodologies to enhance model robustness and quality for decision-making.
• Agility and Learning: The role requires a strong drive and agility to quickly acquire knowledge about specific drug-disease systems, mechanisms, endpoints, and trial designs.
• Problem-Solving Aptitude: You should demonstrate a clear ability to apply modeling techniques to solve practical problems in drug development within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Collaborative Spirit: Success hinges on a demonstrated aptitude for productive collaboration in multi-disciplinary teams, effective communication, and taking personal accountability for timely delivery.
• Strategic Thinking: The ability to make sound judgments in complex situations, adapt to changing business needs, and prioritize multiple tasks is crucial.
• Therapeutic Area Interest (Plus): Prior experience in Respiratory, Hepatology, and/or Infectious diseases is considered a valuable asset.

This position offers an exceptional platform for experienced quantitative scientists to drive innovation, shape strategic development, and make a tangible difference in the lives of patients. If you are a visionary leader passionate about leveraging advanced modeling and data science to accelerate drug development, this opportunity at GSK's cutting edge CPQM team is well worth exploring for your career trajectory.