Sr. Research Associate, Drug Discovery Gene Tx

Senior Research Associate - Drug Discovery, Gene Therapy

Position Summary: We are currently recruiting for a highly motivated and independent Research Associate at multiple levels with extensive molecular biology experience to join our team to help expand our discovery research efforts and advance our lead assets into the clinic. Position title will be commensurate with experience. This laboratory-based position will collaborate within a highly matrixed organization of drug discovery leads, in vivo pharmacologists and other scientists and/or CROs to advance our discovery pipeline. Key responsibilities will focus on establishing novel gene therapy constructs and cell-based assays to permit testing and optimization prior to in vivo biodistribution and pharmacological studies in rodent models. As we are a start-up company, this position has tremendous room for growth and opportunities across multiple areas of R&D, including in vivo pharmacology, cellular and molecular biology, bioanalytics, toxicology and CMC, in addition to collaborative opportunities with external partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and clone novel constructs in collaboration with drug discovery leads, including cloning and in vitro testing of novel constructs in cell-based models
• Perform novel and routine assays to characterize gene therapies in cell- and animal-based models using qPCR, western blots, FISH and/or IF and other molecular imaging assays.
• Drafting SOPs, following protocols, diligently documenting experimental data in electronic lab notebooks

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in the life sciences with ~2+ years of research experience, preferably related to drug discovery. Prior industry experience is a plus.
• Scientific background and hands on experience in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, including DNA cloning, transfections, cell culture, RNA/DNA/protein extraction, ddPCR/qPCR, Western and ELISA-based methods.
• Willingness to learn new laboratory techniques is required; however, previous experience with AAV-based gene therapies preferred.