Immunology Senior Research Scientist - Spatial Transcriptomics

About the role

The Molecular Profiling team at Vertex is seeking a Senior Scientist, Spatial Transcriptomics to drive scientific innovation in spatial biology.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead the design, execution, and optimization of spatial transcriptomics studies to address key biological questions in disease-relevant tissues and model systems
• Characterize tissue architecture, cellular microenvironments, cell-cell interactions, and spatial organization of biological processes
• Generate and interpret high-quality spatial data to derive biological insights that support disease biology, target biology, mechanism of action, and biomarker strategies
• Integrate spatial transcriptomics data with complementary datasets, including single-cell RNA-seq, proteomics, imaging, histology, and other molecular profiling approaches to enable multi-modal biological insights
• Develop, validate, and implement robust workflows for sample preparation, assay execution, quality control, and data review
• Evaluate and apply emerging spatial biology technologies to expand research capabilities and enable innovative scientific applications
• Drive adoption of best practices and contribute to establishing robust spatial biology workflows and standards across the team
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams across disease biology, pharmacology, translational medicine, biomarker sciences, bioinformatics, and clinical development to inform study design, data interpretation, and program strategy
• Contribute to internal scientific strategy through clear communication of results, technical recommendations, and experimental insights
• Prepare technical documentation, protocols, study summaries, and presentations
• Mentor junior scientists and help build a collaborative, high-performing team environment

Knowledge And Skills

• Deep expertise in spatial transcriptomics and tissue-based molecular profiling
• Strong understanding of transcriptomics, RNA biology, tissue architecture, and cellular heterogeneity
• Experience with fresh frozen and FFPE tissue processing, tissue quality assessment, and assay optimization
• Familiarity with one or more spatial biology platforms, including sequencing-based and imaging-based technologies
• Experience integrating spatial data with single-cell, proteomic, imaging, and histologic datasets
• Working knowledge of computational approaches for spatial data analysis, visualization, and interpretation, including proficiency in R and/or Python and familiarity with relevant analysis tools and workflows
• Strong experimental rigor, problem-solving ability, and attention to data quality and reproducibility
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively in a matrixed, multidisciplinary environment

Education And Experience

• PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or related discipline with 2+ years of relevant experience
• Master’s degree with 6+ years of relevant experience
• Bachelor’s degree with 8+ years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with one or more spatial transcriptomics platforms (e.g., sequencing-based or imaging-based such as 10x Genomics Visium, Nanostring CosMx or similar technologies)
• Experience with histology, immunofluorescence, image analysis, and multiplexed tissue profiling
• Experience supporting drug discovery, translational research, or clinical biomarker development, ideally in immunology or inflammation
• Familiarity with single-cell RNA-seq analysis and integration of multi-omics datasets
• Knowledge of spatial proteomics or broader tissue-based profiling approaches