Immunology Discovery Intern

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity.

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. We respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

Job Description

In Innovative Medicine, patients inspire and inform our work, helping us translate scientific discovery into meaningful advances. You will collaborate with talented teams committed to developing the medicines of tomorrow.

We are seeking talented, curious, and collaborative individuals to help shape the future of Immunology.

Immunology Internship Program Overview

The Johnson & Johnson Immunology Internship Program offers a full-time, immersive learning experience within Immunology Therapeutic Area Research and Development. Interns contribute to meaningful projects, engage with leaders and colleagues across functions, and build practical skills through structured learning, mentorship, and exposure to the drug development process. The program is designed to foster professional growth while giving interns an opportunity to support innovative immunology research and clinical development.

Designed to cultivate the next generation of talent, the program helps interns develop scientific, technical, and professional capabilities while exploring career opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. The internship spans approximately three months, from May 17 through August 6, 2027, or from June 14 through September 10, 2027, based at the La Jolla, CA campus.

Role Overview

As an Immunology Discovery Scientist Intern, you will join a multidisciplinary research and development team working to advance novel therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases. With guidance from an assigned mentor, you will complete a defined project aligned with an active discovery program and gain hands-on experience in experimental or computational research, data analysis, scientific interpretation, and communication. Depending on the project, you may investigate disease biology, identify or validate therapeutic targets, explore mechanisms of action, or apply technology platforms such as ELISA, PCR, DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, cell culture, cell-based functional assays, or single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. You will receive training in study planning, experimental execution, analytical methods, and troubleshooting while collaborating with colleagues across scientific disciplines and global matrixed teams. At the end of the internship, you will present your findings to the project team and communicate your work through an abstract or poster at an organization-wide research symposium.

Responsibilities

• Experimental or computational analysis design and execution
• Participating in department and team meetings
• Participating in cross-functional team meetings
• Data collection and experimental record keeping
• Shadowing key functional roles for learning and development opportunities
• Assisting with interpretation, reporting, and preparation of oral and written results of product research, in concert with senior clinical personnel
• Review of literature and related new technologies
• Leadership opportunities on specific programs and group projects
• Abstract and poster preparation and presentation at organization-wide research symposium
• Other projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Permanently authorized to work in the U.S., must not require sponsorship of an employment visa (e.g., H-1B or green card) at the time of application or in the future. Students currently on CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT usually require future sponsorship for long term employment and do not meet the requirements for this program unless eligible for an alternative long-term status that does not require company sponsorship.
• Must be currently enrolled in an accredited University or College program throughout the duration of the internship. Must not be graduating before, during, or after the start or end of the internship program.
• Undergraduate students with a minimum of six semesters or the equivalent quarters at program start or graduate students are eligible
• Graduate students must be pursuing a master's, PharmD, Physician Assistant or PhD or other clinical related degrees.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 which is reflective of all college coursework.
• Students in good standing, working towards the completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree, currently enrolled in biology, cell/molecular biology, chemistry, pre-med, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, clinical pharmacology, clinical or translational research, computational biology, precision medicine, or similar areas of study.
• Availability to work full time (40 h/w) for the entire co-op or internship. We work on a hybrid model if you are NOT lab based. This means that you will be asked to report on site three times a week and can work remotely twice a week.
• Proven leadership and participation with campus programs and/or service programs is desired.
• Detail oriented with good organizational skills.
• Possess strong leadership skills to participate and contribute to internship program initiatives and events.
• Great interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead peers, project teams and present to project and senior leadership teams.
• Enthusiastic, collaborative, able to build relationships and work within global matrixed and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work on and balance multiple project deliverables. Working knowledge and/or experience using Slack, Microsoft suite of business applications and tools including but not limited to Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, and Word, etc.
• Fluent in written and spoken English