2025 Development Sciences R&D Intern – Understanding Particle Breakage

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Development Sciences R&D Intern Overview

This internship opportunity is in the Process Chemistry & Engineering groups which play key roles in developing transformative technologies that can launch new manufacturing strategies as part of AbbVie’s infrastructure. Under supervision of a senior scientist, the intern will focus on evaluating high shear mixing and particle breakage platforms, their designs, and correlate their performance at different scales through a deepened understanding of physical properties of reactive solids.

Key responsibilities include:

• Evaluate design and performance of small- and large-scale high-shear impellers, wet mill, and ultra sonic probes through computational modelling (CFD).
• Improve and validate modelling efforts by acquiring necessary physical property data and experimental evidence of key model systems.
• Characterize performance of model system consisting of insoluble bases (e.g., K3PO4 or Cs2CO3) in organic solvent (e.g., Toluene or dioxane) against different mixing platforms using PAT (e.g., EasyViewer, FBRM, etc.).
• Categorize platform performance by nature of collision and physical properties of solids determined by experimental and modelling efforts.

This internship will be based in North Chicago, IL.

Minimum Qualifications 

• Currently enrolled in university, pursuing Master’s or PhD in Material Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Must be enrolled in university for at least one semester following the internship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expected graduation date between December 2025 – July 2026.
• Developed skills in solids characterization to evaluate guiding principles in particle breakage and heterogeneous reaction performance. 
• Ability to conduct and interpret scientific experiments, providing suggestions for additional experiments, including design and development of new assays.
• Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, including analysis.
• Self-motivated; ability to execute with limited supervision and direction. Can work independently or as part of a team.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot experiments, operate laboratory reactors, and identify and solve elementary problems in experimental designs.
• Proficient in required software including Microsoft Office Suite and Python.

Benefits and Amenities

• Competitive pay
• Relocation support for eligible students
• Select wellness benefits and paid holiday / sick time
• Opportunity to connect with Abbvie leaders and scientists.

Equal Employment Opportunity
At AbbVie, we value bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop new and innovative solutions for patients. As an equal opportunity employer we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.​

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law. ​

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AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

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