Research Scientist/Engineer 1

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

2d•$56,448 - $61,200•Onsite

About The Position

Bioengineering has an outstanding opportunity for an RSE 1 to join their team. Reporting to Dr. Drew Sellers, the Research Scientist Engineer 1 (RSE 1) will contribute to innovative research focused on the development of novel peptide technologies for targeted drug delivery into the central nervous system (CNS). This work aims to advance therapeutic approaches for treating neurodegenerative diseases and post-traumatic injuries affecting the CNS. The research conducted in this role has the potential to significantly transform current treatment strategies by enabling more effective delivery of therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier, ultimately improving outcomes for patients with CNS disorders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology or Bioengineering or related field and one year of experience in biolayer interferometry and immunoassay development, with hands-on expertise in vertebrate animal handling (including tissue harvest, perfusion, fixation, and IP/ID/IM injections).
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology or Bioengineering
Experience with cryosection, tissue expansion, and RNAscope.
Proficiency with confocal microscopy and quantifying blood vessels, gliosis, and TDP proteinopathy in the spinal cord.
Proficiency with Xenogen imaging, bioluminescence quantification, and analysis of immunoassays.
Experience with human neural stem cells and/or hiPSC organoid tissue culture, neural cell differentiation, and analysis.
Experience with Fiji and MetaXpress for image analysis.
Equivalent combination of education/experience.
Experienced with sympathetic ganglia and spinal cord dissection.
Experienced with Liberty Blue SPPS, general lab maintenance, and safety protocols.
Experience in training and working with undergraduate students.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Highly organized with a strong attention to detail.
Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative and work independently.
Strong working knowledge of vascular abnormalities and proteinopathy in ALS.
Strong analytical, written, and presentation skills.
Capable of multitasking and managing multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

Conduct human iPSC culture, maintenance, and differentiation, including assays of vascular formation and neural lineage development.
Perform histological processing of spinal cord tissue, including cryosectioning and staining.
Investigate PDGF signaling through pathway analysis, activation studies, and target validation experiments.
Execute flow cytometry assays to evaluate peptide binding, stability, and target engagement.
Acquire and analyze confocal microscopy images, including quantitative digital image analysis of spinal cord samples.
Perform protein and gene expression analyses in both tissue samples and cultured cells.
Synthesize peptides and carry out HPLC purification and biolayer interferometry (BLI) to assess binding kinetics and specificity.
Present research findings at lab meetings, journal clubs, and other internal forums.
Summarize experimental data in written and graphical formats for inclusion in grant proposals and progress reports.
Actively participate in lab meetings by sharing updates, insights, and experimental outcomes.
Prepare concise summaries of results and communicate findings to the Principal Investigator.
Monitor inventory levels and communicate supply needs to the lab manager to ensure continuous workflow.
Adhere to established standard operating procedures (SOPs) and maintain a safe laboratory environment.