Principal/Sr. Principal Biologist - Mobility and Aging

Eli Lilly and Company • Us, IN

10d

About The Position

The Principal/Sr. Principal Biologist is a key member of Lilly’s Mobility and Healthy Aging discovery team. The role conducts and leads in vivo studies evaluating novel targets and therapeutic candidates in preclinical models of age-related musculoskeletal decline, with a primary emphasis on bone. It generates rigorous, decision-enabling data on bone density, strength, and microarchitecture to support target validation and program advancement, and conducts in vitro studies in bone cell systems to build mechanistic understanding and complement in vivo work. The position may also help expand the team’s preclinical capabilities in muscle function and joint health.

The role designs, executes, and analyzes rodent studies; performs bone imaging and biomechanical testing; conducts in vitro and mechanistic studies; and communicates findings to the team and cross-functional partners. It also contributes to new methods, models, and capabilities for the Mobility and Healthy Aging discovery platform, and supports collaborations with CROs and academic partners as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, physiology, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant laboratory experience, and/or a master’s degree in biology, physiology, or a related field.
• Authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis; Lilly will not support or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role.
• Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Passion for advancing innovative therapies that address unmet needs in mobility and healthy aging.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in drug discovery or pharmaceutical/biotechnology research.
• A master’s degree in a relevant area with 3 years of relevant laboratory experience.
• Foundational laboratory skills, including aseptic technique, cell culture, qPCR, and ELISAs.
• At least 2 years of experience in bone biology.
• Experience with in vivo rodent models, animal handling, dosing, necropsy, and husbandry.
• Experience with preclinical models of osteoporosis, bone loss, and aging.
• Experience preparing IACUC protocols and amendments and working directly with IACUC and veterinary staff.
• Experience with microCT-based preclinical imaging and analysis.
• Experience with bone biomechanical testing systems.
• Experience with in vitro bone cell systems, including osteoblast, osteoclast, and osteocyte assays.
• Familiarity with bone histology or histomorphometry.
• Experience assessing muscle function in preclinical models.
• Familiarity with preclinical models of age-related muscle loss and weakness, including measures of muscle mass and body composition.
• Experience with preclinical models of joint disease and degeneration.
• Familiarity with functional assessments of mobility and joint health in rodents.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and analyze in vivo studies in rodent models relevant to mobility and healthy aging, including ovariectomy-induced bone loss, aged animals, and other age-related or disuse-associated skeletal decline models.
• Apply rigorous experimental design, including appropriate controls, power analysis and group sizing, randomization, and blinding.
• Perform in-life procedures, including dosing by multiple routes, blood and tissue collection, and terminal harvest.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain IACUC protocols and amendments, including scientific justification, procedures, anesthesia and analgesia plans, and humane endpoints.
• Serve as a scientific point of contact for the IACUC, veterinary staff, and animal facility personnel.
• Collaborate with PK/PD, pharmacology, and translational science colleagues on dose selection, study design, and exposure–response interpretation.
• Acquire and analyze microCT data to quantify trabecular and cortical bone parameters at relevant skeletal sites.
• Perform biomechanical testing, such as three-point bending and vertebral compression, and derive structural properties to assess bone strength.
• Contribute to histological and histomorphometric analyses of bone remodeling, including dynamic and static measures, as needed.
• Conduct cell-based assays in bone cell systems to support target validation and mechanism-of-action studies.
• Assess osteoclast formation and function and evaluate osteocyte-like cell models and co-culture systems.
• Evaluate target engagement and pathway modulation using qPCR, ELISAs, reporter assays, and other standard molecular and biochemical methods.
• Measure circulating bone turnover biomarkers to connect in vitro mechanisms with in vivo pharmacodynamic response.
• Develop, optimize, and qualify assays with appropriate controls, documentation, and reproducibility.
• Maintain accurate records, analyze and interpret data, and present results to the team and cross-functional partners.
• Contribute to new methods, models, and capabilities that strengthen the Mobility and Healthy Aging discovery platform.
• Support collaborations with CROs and academic partners as needed.

Benefits

• Company bonus, depending in part on company and individual performance.
• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k).
• Pension.
• Vacation benefits.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits, including healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts.
• Life insurance and death benefits.
• Certain time-off and leave-of-absence benefits.
• Well-being benefits, including an employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal