Data Science Summer Intern - DSSI

Ascendis Pharma is a dynamic, fast-growing global biopharmaceutical company with locations in Denmark, Europe, and the United States. Today, we're advancing programs in Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology.

Here at Ascendis, we pride ourselves on exceptional science, visionary leadership, and skilled and passionate colleagues.

Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we use our TransCon® drug development platform to fulfill our mission of developing new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs.

Our culture fosters a place where skilled, adaptable, and highly resourceful professionals can truly make their mark. We offer a dynamic workplace for employees to grow and develop their skills.

The Data Science Summer Intern will support the Global Biometrics department by contributing to R-based data analysis and reporting solutions used by clinical development teams. This role provides hands-on experience with exploratory analyses, surveillance-style reporting, and reproducible analytics in a collaborative and regulated research environment. 

This internship is structured as a learning and development opportunity. The intern will receive mentorship from experienced data scientists and gain exposure to real-world clinical data science workflows, tools, and best practices. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Support the maintenance and enhancement of R Markdown reports and Shiny apps 

• Contribute to clear and well-documented analytical deliverables (code comments, README files, and basic user documentation) 

• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to understand analytical requirements and incorporate feedback 

• Apply standard practices for reproducible research, version control, and organized project structure 

Learning and Development Opportunities 

• Practical experience using R and RStudio in an enterprise data science setting 

• Exposure to reproducible reporting, structured analytical workflows, and version control practices 

• Introduction to enterprise analytics, development, and AI-enabled productivity tools (e.g., Posit environment, Azure DevOps, Microsoft CoPilot) 

• Insight into how data science supports clinical development and evidence-based decision-making 

• Ongoing mentorship and guidance from senior data scientists within Global Biometrics 

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in, or recently completed, a Master’s or PhD program (preferably in the second year or beyond) in Data Science, Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field 

• Foundational R programming skills, demonstrated through coursework or academic projects 

• Familiarity with RStudio and R Markdown through academic or project experience 

• Strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn in a regulated environment 

• Effective written and verbal communication skills 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Prior experience with R Markdown or similar reporting frameworks 

• Exposure to R packages such as dplyr, ggplot2, renv, flexdashboard, and Shiny 

• Familiarity with Git or other version control systems 

• Coursework, projects, or interest in healthcare, life sciences, or clinical research 

• Previous internship, academic project, or applied coursework involving data analysis 

Work Environment 

• Remote (U.S.); candidates located in the SF Bay Area or Metropolitan Atlanta are preferred 

• Collaborative team environment with regular feedback, coaching, and support 

• Internship duration aligned with standard summer internship program timelines (8-12 weeks) 

This internship will pay $30-38/hr. depending on your years of education completed.

Benefits

• This is a summer internship position with a duration of 8-12 weeks. 

• You will be an external W2 contractor reporting to an Ascendis manager, no Ascendis benefits will be provided for this limited duration contract. 

• Opportunity for mentorship and professional development.