Bristol Myers Squibb

Summer 2026 - Undergraduate Integrative Systems Pharmacology, Protein Homeostasis Internship

San Diego - CA - US Full time

Working with Us
Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

Position Summary

The Protein Homeostasis Thematic Research Center (TRC) in San Diego, CA aims to discover and develop revolutionary medicines for cancer patients with unmet medical needs. Comprised of scientists across multiple disciplines, we are responsible for delivering novel cancer therapeutics by engaging E3 ubiquitin ligases for targeted protein degradation.

The Protein Homeostasis TRC is highly committed to supporting local STEM initiatives that give individuals the opportunity to participate in diverse aspects of the drug discovery process and to contribute to the goal of bringing novel therapeutics to cancer patients. To further this cause, we are excited to introduce the 2026 Summer Internship Program. The selected intern will have the opportunity to contribute to programs in biology research at BMS during a 10-week, full-time, paid summer program.

This intern position is with the Integrative Systems Pharmacology group in the Protein Homeostasis TRC. We are seeking a motivated student with a basic understanding of tumor biology and a strong interest in drug discovery for novel small molecules. The intern will gain hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art San Diego labs, learning cancer biology techniques and working with patient-derived organoid models—an exciting approach that brings research closer to real patient outcomes. You will participate in team meetings, interact with scientists from diverse backgrounds, and present your findings at a poster symposium. We encourage students from all backgrounds to apply and join us next summer.

The full-time internship will take place June - August 2026

Key Responsibilities

  • Work with scientists to understand experimental design and execution.
  • Gain hands-on experience with drug efficacy assays, organoid culture, proteomics, and protein analysis using ProteinSimple JESS.
  • Review scientific literature and research articles to build foundational knowledge relevant to the project.
  • Meet with scientific advisors on a regular basis to review progress.
  • Maintain documentation of experiments in an electronic lab notebook.
  • Attend project/group meetings and learn about programs for drug development.
  • Analyze experimental data and present project findings at the conclusion of the program.


Qualifications & Experience

  • Candidate must be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program majoring in Biology (e.g. Cell Biology, Molecular Biology), Biochemistry, or related discipline.
  • Candidate must have completed at least 2 years of study towards their Bachelor’s degree
  • Strong communication skills (written and verbal), and the ability to work in a collaborative environment.
  • Demonstrate interest in oncology research and drug discovery.
  • Basic laboratory skills (from lab courses or work in research), and experience with mammalian cell culture is preferred but not required.
  • All candidates must be authorized to work in the US both at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment. Please note that immigration or visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This is a temporary, time-bound position intended for the duration of the internship or co-op program. Employment in this role does not imply or guarantee ongoing or permanent employment with BMS.

The starting hourly compensation for this assignment is within the range of $27.00 to $29.00/hr. Please note that the final individual compensation and any applicable benefits will be determined by your employer of record (and not BMS). Factors influencing this decision may include the characteristics of the assignment, such as demonstrated experience, required skill, and the geographic location of the job. Compensation details are subject to change.

If you come across a role that intrigues you but doesn’t perfectly line up with your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be one step away from work that will transform your life and career.

Compensation Overview:

The starting compensation range(s) for this role are listed above for a full-time employee (FTE) basis. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility) may be available. The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills, where the job is performed, the employee’s work schedule, job-related knowledge, and experience. Final, individual compensation will be decided based on demonstrated experience. 

Eligibility for specific benefits listed on our careers site may vary based on the job and location. For more on benefits, please visit https://careers.bms.com/life-at-bms/.

Benefit offerings are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect and may include the following: Medical, pharmacy, dental and vision care. Wellbeing support such as the BMS Living Life Better program and employee assistance programs (EAP). Financial well-being resources and a 401(K). Financial protection benefits such as short- and long-term disability, life insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection and survivor support. Work-life programs include paid national holidays and optional holidays, Global Shutdown Days between Christmas and New Year’s holiday, up to 120 hours of paid vacation, up to two (2) paid days to volunteer, sick time off, and summer hours flexibility. Parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military leave. Family care services such as adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, fertility/infertility benefits, support for traveling mothers, and child, elder and pet care resources. Other perks like tuition reimbursement and a recognition program.

Uniquely Interesting Work, Life-changing Careers
With a single vision as inspiring as “Transforming patients’ lives through science™ ”, every BMS employee plays an integral role in work that goes far beyond ordinary. Each of us is empowered to apply our individual talents and unique perspectives in a supportive culture, promoting global participation in clinical trials, while our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.

On-site Protocol

BMS has an occupancy structure that determines where an employee is required to conduct their work. This structure includes site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design jobs. The occupancy type that you are assigned is determined by the nature and responsibilities of your role:

Site-essential roles require 100% of shifts onsite at your assigned facility. Site-by-design roles may be eligible for a hybrid work model with at least 50% onsite at your assigned facility. For these roles, onsite presence is considered an essential job function and is critical to collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a positive Company culture. For field-based and remote-by-design roles the ability to physically travel to visit customers, patients or business partners and to attend meetings on behalf of BMS as directed is an essential job function.

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to adastaffingsupport@bms.com. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

BMS cares about your well-being and the well-being of our staff, customers, patients, and communities. As a result, the Company strongly recommends that all employees be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and keep up to date with Covid-19 boosters.

BMS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/

Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.