Scientist I

About the Role

The Complex in Vitro Systems (CiS) Lab within the Department of Translational Safety is seeking a highly motivated Scientist to develop, characterize, and qualify advanced complex in vitro models to support the mission of delivering safe and efficacious medicines. The CiS group partners closely with colleagues across Development Sciences, Translational Medicine, and Research to establish and implement innovative platforms that enable target assessment, lead optimization, and safety evaluation across a dynamic portfolio, modalities, and emerging therapeutic areas.

Responsibilities

• Development, qualification, and implementation of innovative in vitro lung model systems (e.g., airway and alveolar organoids, ALI cultures, lung-on-a-chip co-culture platforms) to support disease modeling and lung safety risk assessment
• Designing and executing experiments to characterize lung models, including evaluation of cell viability, morphology, and barrier integrity and function, using techniques such as cytotoxicity assays, confocal and high-content imaging, transepithelial resistance/permeability assays, and transcriptomic and proteomic analyses
• Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams within and outside gRED to align on complex model building with therapeutic strategies and program needs
• Analyzing, interpreting, and clearly communicating study results to collaborators and stakeholders, and contributing to internal and external scientific presentations as appropriate
• Maintaining comprehensive electronic documentation in accordance with departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and contributing to study reports, safety assessments, and final deliverables

Qualifications

• PhD in Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Toxicology (or related fields) with 0-5 years of experience post-PhD with hypothesis-driven research in industry or academia
• Experience in culturing multiple lung cell types, including relevant lung primary cells and cell lines
• Proven expertise in developing, qualifying, and applying airway or alveolar organoids, co-culture systems, and microphysiological or microfluidic platforms, to support drug discovery and translational research
• Proficiency with quantitative and qualitative characterization techniques such as qRT-PCR, RNA-seq, proteomics, immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, live-cell and time-lapse imaging, high-content imaging/screening, and analysis of data generated from these assays
• Strong experimental design skills, with demonstrated ability in troubleshooting, method development, and protocol optimization for complex in vitro systems
• A collaborative, team-oriented scientist who prioritizes shared objectives and communicates effectively across disciplines, with a strong work ethic grounded in scientific rigor, attention to detail, and a commitment to excellence

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in lung biology and immunology is a strong plus
• Advanced proficiency in MATLAB and/or Python for image processing, algorithm development, and large-scale data analysis

Schedule

• Fully onsite in SSF location
• Shift: M-F, 8 hours per day