About PopVax
PopVax is a clinical-stage, Indian full-stack biotech building first-in-class and best-in-class vaccines for infectious diseases, targeted cancer and infectious disease therapies, and personalized autoimmune therapies using generative AI for protein design. We have been funded by the Gates Foundation, the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Vitalik Buterin, and Good Ventures.
We conduct our R&D work and GMP manufacturing at our integrated RNA Foundry in Hyderabad, India, in support of our Million Lives Mission to develop vaccines and therapeutics over the next decade with the potential to cumulatively save 1 million lives each year.
Our pipeline includes a broadly-protective COVID-19 vaccine, currently in a Phase I trial in Australia, first-in-class vaccines against Hepatitis C, Strep A and adult TB, as well as precision cancer therapies against pancreatic and liver cancer. We intend to take at least 5 novel vaccine and therapeutic candidates into clinical trials over the next two years.
About the Role
PopVax is looking for a biosecurity fellow in London to help set up our biosecurity program. This is a 3-month fellowship that can develop into a longer-term position at PopVax.
Tasks
Engage the UK biosecurity ecosystem — government bodies, companies, individuals, think tanks, and research institutions relevant to PopVax's biosecurity program
Support the development of proposals and write briefs as the program moves through its fundraising and build-up stage
Learn about PopVax’s therapeutic design pipeline and the activities of consortium partners, from binder design through in vitro and in vivo testing to mRNA manufacturing
Track and synthesize developments in biological design models (genome language models, protein structure prediction tools) relevant to the program's work
Help assess what sequence data is safe to share within the consortium
Help translate technical progress into written materials for both expert and non-technical audiences
Support day-to-day coordination of the London-based biosecurity program
Requirements
Undergraduate degree in the life sciences (molecular biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, immunology, microbiology, genetics, pharmacology, bioengineering, computational biology and others)
Graduate degree is desirable but not a requirement
Able to legally work in the UK for a continuous 3-month period between October 2026 and January 2027 — we're unfortunately unable to sponsor a visa for this fellowship
Willing to travel on approximately two occasions during the fellowship
Strong writing and communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical issues into language accessible to non-specialists
Strong interest in biosecurity and in vaccine/therapeutics development
Application
Please send your CV along with a short cover letter describing your motivation for the fellowship (400 words maximum)