Contract Scientist, Pharmacodynamic Biomarker Development

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize pharmacodynamic biomarker assays to support the Phase 1 clinical and preclinical program, with a primary focus on human whole blood assays and T cell assays.
• Conduct fit-for-purpose clinical biomarker assay qualification and validation aligned with CTA/IND submission needs and timelines.
• Adapt and transfer assays for potential use in nonhuman primate samples, working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure cross-species translatability of key readouts.
• Generate high-quality, well-documented data and present results clearly and regularly to the internal project team.
• Work closely with the Immunology Research and Translational early development team and external CROs and clinical site partners to support bioanalytical method transfer, implementation, and troubleshooting.
• Contribute to the broader PK/PD biomarker strategy for as the program advances toward and through first-in-human studies.
• Graph and interpret clinical biomarker data from the LIFE-001 clinical and preclinical program as needed.

What You Will Need To Be Successful

• M.S. or Ph.D. in immunology, pharmacology, cell biology, or a related field, with hands-on laboratory experience in an academic, biotechnology, or pharmaceutical setting.
• Demonstrated expertise in flow cytometry and/or molecular (RNAseq, RT-PCR) assay development, including panel design, assay optimization, and data analysis using software packages such as FlowJo.
• Extensive experience working with primary human immune cells, including whole blood, PBMCs, and enriched T cell populations, across stimulation and co-culture protocols.
• Strong working knowledge of T cell activation biology, and its pharmacological modulation — experience with calcineurin inhibitors or related immunosuppressant programs is a meaningful advantage.
• High proficiency with immunological platforms including ELISA, MSD, Luminex, and intracellular signaling assays.
• Experience with clinical biomarker assay qualification and validation in a regulatory setting (CTA/IND-enabling) is strongly preferred.
• Experience with whole blood assays and transcription factor assays a plus.
• Excellent assay troubleshooting skills.
• Prior experience assessing pharmacodynamics with in vivo pharmacology studies a plus.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with a strong track record of generating accurate, reproducible data and maintaining thorough laboratory records.
• Comfortable working both independently and as part of a cross-functional team, with the ability to communicate technical challenges and results clearly to a mixed scientific audience.
• Able to travel to partner sites or CROs on occasion to ensure assay transfer and data quality.

What We Offer

• Competitive contract compensation (salary, benefits and equity).
• The opportunity to work on a differentiated best-in-class clinical stage program at a critical inflection point in its development.
• A collaborative, science-driven culture where individual contributions are visible and valued.
• Direct engagement with an experienced team committed to rigorous clinical and translational science.