Scientist I, Neuroimmunology, Target Validation  and Drug Discovery

Valo Health•Lexington, MA

About The Position

Valo is looking for a Scientist I to play a pivotal role in the experimental validation of targets for Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases, that have been identified using Valo’s human-centric Opal computational platform. This role will also support drug discovery program goals including compound mechanism of action. The Scientist I will have a passion for translating human data insights into new therapies for complex neurodegenerative diseases.  The Scientist I will work cross-functionally with subject matter experts, computational scientists, and engineers in a team-based environment to bring forward novel and creative solutions to target validation. You will bring your experience in immune and inflammatory mechanisms and models to design and execute target validation experiments using human cell assays. The work you do will build confidence in the translation of candidate drug targets to diseases of interest. As a hands-on experimentalist, you will execute at the bench with a high degree of reliability, efficiency, and accuracy and deliver validation data packages, data interpretations, and present results to appropriate stakeholders.

Requirements

A PhD in Biological Sciences or a related field with 0-2+ years of experience (or MS with 4+ years of experience or a BS with 6+ years of experience)
Expertise in one or more of the following areas: Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, Neuroimmunology, Neuroinflammation
This position requires experience in immune and inflammatory mechanisms and models.
Experience in human in vitro systems including direct cell culture with immune cell types (e.g. PMBCs, blood-based cancer cell lines, iPSCs derived immune cells), molecular biology, and genetic manipulation
Experience in assay development with functional readouts (cytokine profiling, inflammatory signaling, flow cytometry, phagocytosis, cell death assay, cellular function)
Strong oral and written communication, presentation and interpersonal skills
Track record of impactful scientific contributions as demonstrated by high impact publications
Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams

Nice To Haves

Experience in human in vitro systems including cell culture and functional assays involving neuroinflammatory cells and/or neurons
Experience working in in vivo/ex vivo systems
Experience in discovery stage preclinical drug discovery programs and with target validation projects

Responsibilities

Generate experimental plans and execute at the bench to enable validation of novel therapeutic targets
Develop and execute human functional cell-based assays in immune and neuroinflammatory cell types to enable characterization of novel drug targets
Perform experiments and generate data in the laboratory with a high degree of reliability, efficiency, and accuracy to support target validation projects.
Work in collaboration with other Valo scientists to progress target validation and drug development aligned with company goals
Generate data with high quality standards and document within an electronic lab notebook
Stay current on emerging trends and advancements in the field