Senior Scientist, In Vivo Pharmacology

About Us

We are the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation. Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs. United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) seeks to develop treatments for rare, deadly diseases. Founded in 1996 by a family seeking a cure for their daughter’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), we now have six FDA-approved therapies treating PAH, pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD), and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. Our near-term pipeline focuses on additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

The cure for end-stage life-threatening diseases like PAH, PH-ILD, and PF is often an organ transplant, but only a small percentage of donated organs are available. We are working to create manufactured organs to address the shortage of kidneys, hearts, lungs, and livers, aiming to eliminate transplant waiting lists and cure end-stage organ diseases.

Thymmune Therapeutics, a United Therapeutics subsidiary, is a biotechnology company developing a machine learning-driven thymic cell engineering platform to restore normal immune function in aging and disease. Our cutting-edge approach in iPSC-thymic cell manufacturing can generate off-the-shelf cells at scale, with a pipeline of therapies to treat immunodeficiencies, transplant-related, and autoimmune disorders.

About the Role

For scientists who prefer the frontier over the familiar, join Thymmune and help pioneer next-generation cell therapies designed to restore and strengthen the immune system. You'll lead high-impact preclinical research, mentor fellow scientists, and contribute to breakthrough programs spanning aging, immune dysfunction, cancer, and transplantation.

The Senior Scientist is responsible for advancing our lead cell therapy program through the design and execution of proof-of-concept, pharmacology, and mechanism-of-action studies in relevant animal models. Leveraging deep expertise in preclinical models and immunology, this role supports key development activities and contributes to the expansion of our therapeutic platform into new disease areas, including immunosenescence, aging, cancer immunotherapy, and transplant tolerance.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and interpret in vivo studies to assess the efficacy, safety, pharmacology, biodistribution, persistence, and mechanism of action of iPSC-derived thymic cell products.
• Apply core in vivo techniques, including animal handling, cell dosing, tissue collection and dissection, to support downstream analyses.
• Develop and refine preclinical mouse models relevant to immune reconstitution, immunosenescence, aging, and immune tolerance to enhance translational relevance and experimental robustness.
• Investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive thymic regeneration, T-cell development, immune tolerance, and immunosenescence using appropriate experimental techniques.
• Design and implement high-dimensional immune profiling approaches, including flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, and functional immunological assays (e.g., T-cell activation, cytotoxicity, and mixed lymphocyte reaction assays); and develop biomarker strategies that support translational research objectives.
• Work closely and collaboratively with iPSC Research, Process Development, and Analytical Development to evaluate product attributes associated with potency, efficacy, and safety.
• Generate robust data packages on proof-of-concept, pharmacology, and mechanism-of-action studies to support candidate selection and advance the program toward nonclinical development.
• Analyze, interpret, and communicate study results to stakeholders, project teams, and senior leadership.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and well-organized documentation of experimental design, protocols, data analysis, and study reports, ensuring data integrity to support project decision-making and regulatory-supporting activities.
• Assess emerging scientific literature and competitive landscape development; contribute to the evaluation of new therapeutic opportunities beyond congenital athymia.
• Mentor junior team members, scientists, and interns to foster a scientifically rigorous, collaborative, and productive work environment.
• Perform all other duties as required.

Requirements

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in immunology, stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing preclinical models, including the design and execution of in vivo mouse studies; hands-on expertise in immunological assay development; and a demonstrated ability to independently advance scientific projects.
• Strong scientific knowledge of immunology, thymus biology, T-cell development, immune reconstitution, and immune tolerance.
• Proven skills to independently drive scientific projects from conceptualization, experimental design, study execution, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation.
• Demonstrated proficiency in rodent handling, tissue collection/dissection, and multiple routes of administration, including but not limited to IV, IP, SQ, etc.
• Hands-on in vitro experience with the isolation, processing, and culture of primary human and murine cells and tissues, and experience in the development of immunological assays, such as mixed lymphocyte reaction, T-cell activation, and cell cytotoxicity assays.
• Experience with multi-color flow cytometry, qPCR or ddPCR, histology, and ELISA/MSD techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data, apply appropriate statistical methods, and independently troubleshoot experimental variability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative biotech environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1+ years of nonclinical development activities, IND-enabling studies, and regulatory authoring, such as experience in proof-of-concept studies, pharmacology, mechanism-of-action studies, and translational sciences.
• Scientific understanding of immunosenescence, age-related immune dysfunction, tumor immunology, autoimmunity, and transplantation immunology/tolerance.
• Track record of scientific publications and/or intellectual property contributions.

Location

This role is based in our Cambridge, MA Thymmune location, fully onsite with occasional weekend work needed.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $127,500.00 - $170,000.00 and reflects our good-faith estimate of the compensation for this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on factors such as education, qualifications, experience, skills, geographic location, and business needs, as well as other factors permitted by law at the time of posting.

Benefits

Eligible employees may participate in the Company’s comprehensive benefits suite of programs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.
• Employee wellness resources.
• Savings plans (401k and ESPP).
• Paid time off and paid parental leave benefits.
• Disability benefits.

For additional information on Company benefits, please visit https://www.unither.com/careers/benefits-and-amenities.