About this role
At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.
This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. Are you looking to make a significant difference by advancing precision therapies for debilitating diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other interstitial lung diseases (ILD)?
If so, this might be the right role for you. We are seeking an ambitious postdoctoral scientist with strong research and communication skills to contribute to a high-visibility research program at the intersection of cellular senescence biology, fibrosis, and immune-based therapeutics. Your work will contribute to establishing a precision senolytic approach that selectively eliminates pathological senescent cells in the fibrotic lung while sparing healthy tissue — a strategy with the potential to halt or reverse fibrosis rather than merely slow its progression.
Spanning cellular models, in vivo fibrosis models, and human disease tissue, this program aims to open a differentiated therapeutic avenue in the emerging senolytics space. In this role, you will: Establish and characterize models of cellular senescence relevant to fibrotic lung disease, spanning primary human cells, iPSC-derived cells, and in vivo fibrosis models. Identify and validate cell-surface markers that distinguish pathological senescent cells from healthy tissue, prioritizing candidates with a favorable safety profile.
Develop and engineer immune effector–based strategies to selectively eliminate senescent cells in the fibrotic lung. Evaluate senolytic efficacy and its impact on fibrosis across disease-relevant human tissue and in vivo models. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external academic partners, present findings at major scientific conferences, and publish as first author.
Basic Qualifications PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Aging Biology, or a closely related field. Demonstrated experience with cellular senescence and at least one of the following: fibrosis, aging biology, immunology, therapeutic modality engineering (e.g., cell therapy, antibody, or protein engineering), or relevant analytical approaches such as proteomics or single-cell analysis. Strong publication record demonstrating scientific productivity and independence.
Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1. Additional Information This position is not permanent and requires US citizenship or permanent resident status.
It is for a fixed duration of two years with potential to extend to three years and for a maximum of up to four years. You will have opportunities to apply for full-time positions after your duration is complete. Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
Additional Skills/Preferences Self-directed and highly motivated individual who wants to learn new techniques while continually pursuing research and publication goals. Excellent communicator (oral and written) with presentation experience, along with a strong publication record. Interest in cellular senescence, fibrosis biology, and translational drug discovery.
Background in cellular senescence or aging biology, including relevant cellular and in vivo models. Hands-on expertise in immunology and immune cell biology. Experience with therapeutic modality development, such as cell therapy, antibody, or protein engineering.
Familiarity with proteomic, transcriptomic, and/or high-parameter single-cell and imaging approaches. Experience with human iPSC culture and directed differentiation. Familiarity with disease-relevant human tissue and/or in vivo fibrosis models.
Strong analytical skills and the ability to integrate multi-modal datasets. Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation ) for further assistance.
Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees.
Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL). Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $58,000 - $123,200 Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).
In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees. #WeAreLilly