Scientist, Discovery Biology

Denali•South San Francisco, CA

2d•$110,000 - $143,000

About The Position

Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the largest medical challenges of our time. Denali Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through our deep commitment to degeneration biology and principles of translational medicine. Denali is founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors who share the vision that scientific discovery energetically applied to translational medicine is the key to delivering effective therapies to patients. We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients. Denali Therapeutics is seeking an outstanding biologist or neuroscientist to join our Discovery Biology group to support preclinical activities, with a focus on oligonucleotide therapeutic development and in vivo translational science. In this role, you will apply in vivo models, molecular and cellular assays, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies to support target validation, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic development. You will work in close collaboration with colleagues in Preclinical Translational Sciences and Developmental Sciences to support the progression of Denali’s pipeline candidates through preclinical development.

Requirements

PhD in Neuroscience, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, or a related scientific field OR Master’s degree and 3+ years of relevant experience in academia or pharmaceutical discovery/translational research
Technical proficiency in wet lab techniques, including RNA extraction, quantitative PCR, tissue sectioning, immunofluorescent staining, plate-based assays (such as ELISAs for protein quantification), microscopy, etc.
Experience working with in vivo models and CNS tissue-based studies
Strong scientific reasoning as it pertains to experimental design and data analysis
Ability to work independently in a self-motivated fashion, and to maintain flexibility in a fast-paced research environment
Highly organized, with the ability to effectively prioritize individual tasks
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Passion for applied neurodegeneration research and motivated to contribute to a mission-driven research environment

Responsibilities

Design and execute in vivo and ex vivo studies that inform candidate progression, PK/PD modeling, and biomarker strategies in alignment with clinical development objectives
Collaborate closely with Safety and DMPK scientists to support PK/PD analyses in preclinical models
Implement biochemical and molecular wet lab techniques (see below), including technical troubleshooting
Analyze and interpret experimental data, report quantitative results in a timely manner, and maintain clear and complete documentation using electronic lab notebooks
Communicate experimental designs and preclinical study results clearly to cross-functional teams and collaborators
Stay current on scientific literature and emerging technologies related to CNS drug delivery and disease research