Postdoctoral Fellow - AI/ML Upstream Cell Culture Modeling & Process Development
Eli Lilly and Company
August 11, 2026
On-site
Indianapolis, IN
Operations
Position Summary
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Upstream Process Development (BR&D) focused on developing and optimizing mammalian cell culture processes for recombinant proteins and other modalities for early- and late-phase clinical trials.
Responsibilities
- Develop and calibrate mechanistic and hybrid metabolic models to predict cellular behavior and identify performance-limiting factors.
- Build computational pipelines to generate model inputs and predicted metabolic flux distributions.
- Apply machine learning/data-driven methods for performance prediction and integration of model-derived features with experimental data.
- Use models to evaluate feeding strategies and medium compositions to enhance productivity.
- Design and execute cell culture experiments (shake flask to bench-scale bioreactors) to generate datasets for model development, training, and validation.
- Collaborate on multi-omics methods for metabolic model calibration.
- Integrate features into ML workflows for earlier decisions (e.g., predictive clone selection).
- Investigate AI-assisted approaches for faster model building/validation/reuse with human-in-the-loop support.
- Document work and communicate results via reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
Basic Requirements
- PhD in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Systems Biology, Computational Biology, Metabolic Engineering, or related field.
- Experience with constraint-based/genome-scale metabolic modeling.
- Hands-on cell culture experience (Batch, Fed-batch, Intensified Processes).
- Authorized to work in the U.S. full-time; Lilly does not sponsor visas.
Additional Preferences
- Mathematical modeling/reaction kinetics/mammalian cell culture; Python/MATLAB; process control (e.g., MPC/dynamic optimization); CHO physiology/metabolism.
- Plus: HPLC/UPLC/mass spectrometry; omics integration; ML/data-driven modeling.
Additional Information
- Fixed two-year postdoctoral role (may extend up to 4 years). Part of Lilly postdoctoral training program (mentorship, training, networking).
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Upstream Process Development (BR&D) focused on developing and optimizing mammalian cell culture processes for recombinant proteins and other modalities for early- and late-phase clinical trials.
Responsibilities
- Develop and calibrate mechanistic and hybrid metabolic models to predict cellular behavior and identify performance-limiting factors.
- Build computational pipelines to generate model inputs and predicted metabolic flux distributions.
- Apply machine learning/data-driven methods for performance prediction and integration of model-derived features with experimental data.
- Use models to evaluate feeding strategies and medium compositions to enhance productivity.
- Design and execute cell culture experiments (shake flask to bench-scale bioreactors) to generate datasets for model development, training, and validation.
- Collaborate on multi-omics methods for metabolic model calibration.
- Integrate features into ML workflows for earlier decisions (e.g., predictive clone selection).
- Investigate AI-assisted approaches for faster model building/validation/reuse with human-in-the-loop support.
- Document work and communicate results via reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
Basic Requirements
- PhD in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Systems Biology, Computational Biology, Metabolic Engineering, or related field.
- Experience with constraint-based/genome-scale metabolic modeling.
- Hands-on cell culture experience (Batch, Fed-batch, Intensified Processes).
- Authorized to work in the U.S. full-time; Lilly does not sponsor visas.
Additional Preferences
- Mathematical modeling/reaction kinetics/mammalian cell culture; Python/MATLAB; process control (e.g., MPC/dynamic optimization); CHO physiology/metabolism.
- Plus: HPLC/UPLC/mass spectrometry; omics integration; ML/data-driven modeling.
Additional Information
- Fixed two-year postdoctoral role (may extend up to 4 years). Part of Lilly postdoctoral training program (mentorship, training, networking).