Post Doctoral Research Scientist-Research & Innovation ( Biological Sciences)

Colgate • Piscataway, NJ

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This Post Doctoral Research Scientist role focuses exclusively on understanding oxidative stress pathways and sensory responses in human oral mucosa triggered by oral care products. Your research will focus on developing in vitro and ex vivo models to study reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated pathways on oral mucosal and neuron-like cells. You will establish key biomarkers on oxidative stress related cytotoxicity. You will lead early-stage research programs that guide cross-functional teams in formulating safer, next-generation oral care products.

Requirements

• PhD in Oral Biology, Toxicology Oral Immunology, or a related field
• Research experience in one or more of the following areas: Oral Mucosal Irritation Expertise: Deep understanding of irritation on oral soft tissues and mechanism of action of compounds inducing oral ulceration.
• Oral Immunology Expertise: Understanding of oral immunology, specifically the mechanisms of allergic sensitization and the inflammatory cascades leading to mucosal ulceration.
• Biomarker Validation: Experience in identifying, quantifying, and validating biological markers from biosamples such as saliva and blood.
• Bio-informatics: Data analysis and developing computable prediction models.

Nice To Haves

• Toxicology and Immunology: Hands-on experience.
• Risk Assessment & Safety Evaluation: Database knowledge and computational prediction
• Regulatory Knowledge: Safety databases, status of common oral care ingredients.

Responsibilities

• Execute in vitro and ex vivo studies to evaluate oxidative stress induction and neuronal activation in oral tissue models exposed to novel formulations.
• Investigate cellular signaling cascades linked to oxidative stress and neurogenic sensory responses.
• Utilize -omics platforms to identify salivary and biological markers specific to oxidative markers and cytotoxicity.
• Standardize testing protocols for screening active ingredients based on redox balance and neuronal reactivity.
• Translate oxidative and neuro-response dataset findings into guidelines for product development teams.
• Communicate mechanistic findings on oxidative stress and neuro-activation to Safety, Regulatory, and R&D leadership.
• Work with Legal/IP to secure patent protection for novel models or formulations mitigating oxidative and neurological stress.
• Establish high-throughput oxidative assay screening systems.
• Standardize testing methods for quantifying ROS generation and neuronal responses.
• Leverage bioinformatics tools to analyze gene expression changes in oxidative and neuro response pathways.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• basic life insurance
• paid parental leave
• disability coverage
• participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements
• a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree