Alzheimer’s Disease Summer Intern- AD Data Initiative Driver Projects

The Health & Life Sciences (HLS) team operates three practice areas – a. advisory role and learning agenda b. US Healthcare, and C. Alzheimer’s disease-focused investments. Within the scope of Alzheimer’s disease-focused investments, Gates Ventures focuses on five pillars: 1. Upstream research, 2. Biomarkers/diagnostics, 3. Therapeutics pipeline, 4. Clinical trial bottlenecks and 5. Enabling data sharing and use.  

Interns for the Health & Life Sciences team will have the opportunity to play a key role across a range of initiatives across our programs:  

You are the ideal candidate if you are:  

• A strong problem solver: You can break down problems using structure and logic and find a smart solution that fits with the bigger picture.  

• An efficient and diligent researcher: You can scour published resources and quickly gain an understanding of “the story” and key takeaways around what you’re researching.  

• Data-driven and analytical: You believe that anything worth doing is worth measuring, and love using data to drive insights. You are driven by intellectual curiosity.  

• Flexible: You can juggle multiple tasks and priorities and thrive in environments with ambiguity and rapid change. You are just as comfortable engaging with high-level stakeholders as you are scheduling meetings and analyzing data sets.  

• A strong and concise communicator: You can quickly and effectively communicate your ideas verbally and in writing.  

• Able to work with diverse stakeholders: You’re able to understand the working styles and needs of a wide variety of stakeholders and adapt effectively (e.g., academics, executives, creative designers).  

RESPONSIBILITIES 

We are seeking an intern to support the execution and scientific advancement of Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative Driver Projects, with a primary focus on Sex and Gender (S|GN) and related efforts in disease heterogeneity and subtyping. This role is designed for a candidate interested in applying analytical and scientific skills to real-world, large-scale Alzheimer’s disease research initiatives. 

The intern will work closely with scientific leads, platform teams, and strategy staff to analyze existing harmonized datasets within AD Workbench, generate insights, and support ongoing project coordination. The role combines hands-on data analysis with exposure to cross-functional scientific strategy and collaborative research infrastructure.  

Key Responsibilities 

Driver Project Analysis & Scientific Support (50%) 

• Analyze existing harmonized datasets within AD Workbench, with a focus on S|GN and related Driver Project priorities 

• Conduct exploratory analyses to identify patterns, gaps, or signals relevant to sex/gender differences and disease heterogeneity 

• Support development of reproducible analysis workflows and contribute to shared code, notebooks, or documentation 

• Summarize analytical findings into clear outputs (figures, tables, short briefs) for internal and external stakeholders 

• Assist in reviewing relevant literature to contextualize findings and inform ongoing Driver Project hypotheses 

Project Coordination & Execution Support (25%) 

• Support coordination of Driver Project activities, including meeting preparation, note-taking, and action tracking 

• Help maintain lightweight project trackers for datasets, analyses, and key milestones 

• Assist in tracking progress of harmonized datasets and their use in downstream analyses 

• Contribute to preparation of materials for team updates, scientific discussions, and stakeholder meetings 

Scientific Output, Impact Support & Collaboration (25%) 

• Contribute to development of abstracts, presentations, or summary documents emerging from Driver Project work 

• Help track scientific outputs (analyses, datasets used, collaborations) to support impact reporting 

• Support synthesis of insights across analyses to inform broader scientific questions within Driver Projects 

• Engaging with scientific leads, attending project meetings, and building familiarity with AD Workbench, data standards, and collaborative research workflows 

QUALIFICATIONS  

• Actively engaged in a four-year bachelor’s degree program 

• Desire to contribute to rigorous research and impact agenda across health and life sciences  

• Interest in the neuroscience field