Senior Scientist, Transplant Immunology & Gene Therapy

About the role

The Senior Scientist will play an important technical role in advancing immunomodulatory and gene modification strategies for ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) and enhanced lung development. This individual will design, execute, and interpret studies focused on transplant immunology, inflammatory signaling, immune cell interactions, and gene delivery approaches within engineered or donor lungs.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute studies focused on innate and adaptive immune responses in donor and engineered lungs during EVLP
• Evaluate immunomodulatory strategies to improve lung preservation, reduce inflammation, and enhance post-transplant outcomes
• Aids in gene delivery strategies (AAV, lentiviral, adenoviral, mRNA/LNP, or other platforms) for lung-directed therapies
• Optimize transduction efficiency, durability of expression, and immunologic safety profiles
• Characterize immune cell populations and inflammatory pathways using flow cytometry, multiplex cytokine assays, transcriptomic approaches, and histologic analysis
• Support preclinical transplant studies, including experimental design, tissue analysis, and data interpretation
• Develop and validate molecular and functional assays (qPCR, ddPCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, multiplex assays, etc.)
• Collaborate cross-functionally with device, manufacturing, analytical, translational, and regulatory teams
• Contribute to IND-enabling studies and regulatory documentation
• Mentor junior scientists and research associates
• Contribute to publications, patents, protocols, abstracts, and scientific presentations
• Present data internally and externally
• Aid in EVLP procedures and translational lung studies

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in immunology, transplant biology, molecular biology, pulmonary biology, gene therapy, or related field
• 8+ years of related biotech/pharma industry experience with a Master’s Degree or 5+ years of related biotech/pharma industry experience with a PhD
• Strong background in immunology, including immune cell biology, inflammatory signaling, or transplant immunology
• Experience with viral vector systems (AAV, LVV, AdV) or non-viral gene delivery platforms
• Experience with immunologic and molecular assay development, including flow cytometry and cytokine profiling
• Strong experimental design and data analysis skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced translational environment
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to mentor and motivate team members
• Highly self-motivated
• Ability to organize and present complex data clearly

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in immunology, transplant biology, pulmonary biology, gene therapy, or related field
• Experience with lung transplantation, EVLP, or thoracic organ preservation
• Experience in transplant immunology or immune modulation strategies
• Experience with gene therapy platforms in pulmonary or transplant applications
• Industry experience in cell or gene therapy development
• Experience working with human tissue and translational preclinical models
• Familiarity with IND-enabling studies and regulatory interactions

Pay

The salary range for this position is $127,500 - $170,000 per year 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.

Schedule

This role is based 100% onsite at our Silver Spring, MD location.

Benefits

Eligible employees may participate in the Company’s comprehensive benefits suite of programs, including medical / dental / vision / prescription coverage, employee wellness resources, savings plans (401k and ESPP), paid time off & paid parental leave benefits, disability benefits, and more. For additional information on Company benefits, please visit https://www.unither.com/careers/benefits-and-amenities.