Staff Scientist

Health care is constantly changing, and at Banner Health, we are at the front of that change. We are leading health care to make the experience the best it can be. We want to change the lives of those in our care – and the people who choose to take on this challenge.

About the role

The Staff Scientist will lead the development, optimization, validation, and implementation of biomarker assays for Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Responsibilities

Assay Development & Technical Leadership

• Provide scientific and technical leadership for biomarker assay development, with a focus on antibody-based methods for measuring protein biomarkers in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and other biological matrices
• Select, characterize, and evaluate antibodies and other affinity reagents
• Design and execute assay-development strategies
• Optimize experimental conditions and troubleshoot complex technical issues
• Establish approaches to assess assay sensitivity, specificity, precision, reproducibility, and robustness
• Develop standardized laboratory protocols and quality-control procedures

Biomarker Analysis & Translational Research

• Lead the analytical evaluation of candidate biomarkers relevant to Parkinson's disease pathology, diagnosis, disease progression, and therapeutic response
• Design experiments and interpret biomarker data
• Evaluate assay performance against defined criteria
• Integrate laboratory findings with broader translational and clinical research objectives
• Advance promising assays from early-stage development toward use in observational studies, clinical trials, and therapeutic development

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide day-to-day scientific guidance to laboratory personnel
• Oversee experimental activities and assay-development projects
• Mentor junior scientists and research staff
• Collaborate closely with investigators, clinicians, and external partners to:
  • Establish project priorities and interpret findings
  • Align biomarker development efforts with clinical and research goals

Scientific Contribution & Program Development

• Contribute to the overall scientific direction of the biomarker program
• Identify emerging biomarker technologies and develop new research approaches
• Prepare scientific reports and manuscripts for publication
• Present findings at internal and external scientific meetings

Core Functions

• Assists in planning, designing, and conducting innovative research and development in area of expertise, including collecting, analyzing and interpreting data and developing new research techniques and core activities
• Publishes results of activities that support the laboratory mission, and/or presents related research findings at national and international scientific meetings
• Directs and supervises the conduct of developmental, validation and quality-assessment activities
• Forms collaborative relationships both inside and outside of the Institute, in order to increase research capabilities and resource development and improvement
• Looks for and pursues opportunities to collaborate scientifically with other Banner scientists, physicians and staff members
• Assists in the training of research staff, students and volunteers
• Has accountability for designated research projects and core activities, working collaboratively with other researchers across the system

Requirements

• Ph.D. or M.D. and appropriate post-doctoral training
• Knowledge of research methods, data collection, analyses and evaluation
• Good writing and communication skills
• Excellent organizational and supervisory skills
• Able to maintain good rapport with departmental personnel

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Location

Banner Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 West Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351

Banner Research is at the leading edge in a new era of scientific discovery and innovation. Our basic and clinical research faculty turns ground-breaking research findings into new identification, treatment, and prevention methods for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, and Orthopedics. We have an international reputation for our work and provide outstanding access for patients to clinical trials.