Scientist - In Vivo

Merck•South San Francisco, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Our company's South San Francisco research laboratory is seeking an innovative drug hunter with a strong in vivo background in biology or metabolism to join the cardiometabolic disease department as an Associate Scientist. The individual will perform experiments in the laboratory with minimal guidance and supervision. The successful candidate will design, execute, and interpret complex in vivo/ex vivo/in vitro studies to support target identification, validation, and therapeutic development. The successful candidate will also possess a strong sense of intellectual curiosity to expand their technical expertise at the bench, as well as effective written and interpersonal communication skills to explain complex experiments and biological concepts to a broader scientific team.

Requirements

Bachelor's (with 3+ years) or Master's in chemical biology, molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology, biology or other related scientific discipline and relevant experience.
Experience in one or more of the following areas: target validation, in-vivo model development or adipose biology.
Experience with handling, dosing (oral, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, intravenous), and bleeding small laboratory animals.
Experience working with human as well as pre-clinical tissues and primary cell lines.
Experience with standard molecular biology techniques (western blotting, qPCR, etc).
Works independently and is able to simultaneously handle a diverse workload with strong organizational and time management skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work flexibly in a dynamic team environment.
Scientific curiosity, analytical mindset with a drive to own a project to understand biology, mechanism of action, and drive it through the discovery pipeline.
Cell Biology
Cell Culture Techniques
Dosing
In Vivo Models
In Vivo Studies
Molecular Biology Techniques
Primary Cells
Target Validation

Nice To Haves

Prior industry experience
Experience in target identification, muscle biology or immunology in the context of metabolic disease

Responsibilities

Establish key assays and model systems, suitable for the mechanistic investigation of potential targets, as well as evaluation of therapeutic candidates.
In vivo dosing, bleeding, and handling of small laboratory animals
Perform molecular biology, cellular biology, cell-based assay, and ex vivo sample processing and analysis.
Design, perform, troubleshoot, document, analyze and interpret assigned research, with minimal supervision, to support exploratory activities as well as project focused goals.
Scour and critically evaluate current literature to identify opportunities for new and existing programs.
Work independently in executing tightly controlled experiments, analyzing data, and presenting to teams within the disease area.
Solve complex problems by undertaking innovative approaches and applying state-of-the art technologies.