Research Associate / Senior Research Associate, Cell Culture
About The Position
Violet Research Institute (VRI) is dedicated to advancing personalized medicine for genetic diseases by designing and manufacturing targeted treatments based on individual patient biology. VRI combines the urgency of a startup with the mission-driven openness of a nonprofit, fostering collaboration to accelerate the transition from scientific insight to patient action. The institute has assembled a multidisciplinary team of experts in omics, therapeutic design, manufacturing, clinical care, and AI. VRI was founded by the family of its first patient, Violet, and is led by Michael Buckley, Siranush Babakhanova, and Steve Turner. The team values individuals who are builders, experts, and generalists, eager to work across domains, challenge conventional methods, and improve access to personalized medicine.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in cell biology, stem cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, biotechnology, or a related life science field.
- 2 to 4 years of hands-on laboratory experience in cell culture and assay development.
- Hands-on experience with routine pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture, particularly iPSC maintenance and/or differentiation.
- Demonstrated proficiency in sterile cell-culture technique, including media preparation and cell harvesting.
- Strong documentation, data organization, and quality practices, with a proven contamination-control track record.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills, with consistent adherence to protocols.
- Ability to manage time efficiently across multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to work full-time on-site and thrive in a flexible, high-pace environment, including occasional weekend work.
Nice To Haves
- Experience differentiating pluripotent stem cells into neuronal cell types (neurons, neural progenitor cells, or other neural lineages) for disease modeling.
- Neuroscience background or exposure to neuro-focused models.
- Microscopy and fluorescence imaging experience.
- Prior industry experience in startup.
- Clear communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team setting.
- Experience processing and analyzing molecular endpoints (nucleic acid, protein, etc…).
Responsibilities
- Maintain and expand pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultures with strong aseptic technique and contamination control.
- Differentiate iPSCs into neuronal cell types (e.g., neural progenitor cells, neurons, and other disease-relevant neuronal lineages) to support disease modeling.
- Perform sterile cell-culture media preparation and support routine, traditional (2D) cell-culture workflows.
- Prepare sterile media aliquots for scheduled daily cell-culture feeds.
- Reconstitute growth factors and small molecules according to established differentiation and maintenance protocols.
- Manage inventory of raw materials and completed reagents, and support laboratory upkeep to maintain uninterrupted workflows aligned with project timelines and program goals.
- Closely adhere to batch records and protocols for media, reagent preparation, and differentiation timelines.
- Maintain rigorous experimental records, culture QC, and data organization in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and/or written batch records to support a rapidly iterating program.
- Contribute to culture and differentiation protocol scale-up, optimization, and process refinement as capabilities expand.
- Support imaging and microscopy-based readouts on a secondary basis.
- Assure compliance with all relevant laboratory safety and biosafety regulations.
- Adapt to changing priorities and occasional weekend work in a fast-paced, on-site setting.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
