Scientist - Viral Gene Delivery

Merge Labs • San Francisco, CA

3d • $120,000 - $215,000

About The Position

Merge Labs is a frontier research lab working to bridge biological and artificial intelligence through brain-computer interfaces designed to interact with the brain at high bandwidth and be safe and accessible. The Delivery team develops viral and non-viral delivery technologies for Merge's next-generation neurotechnology platform, working closely with bioengineering, neuroscience, and in vivo teams.

As a Scientist on the Delivery team, you will engineer and validate viral gene delivery approaches that enable expression and function of novel molecular biosensors and actuators of neural activity in preclinical models. This work bridges molecular engineering and in vivo functionality and supports the clinical translation of molecular brain-computer interfaces. You will collaborate with protein engineers, cell and synthetic biologists, machine learning engineers, physicists, and neuroscientists.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent experience leading research projects end-to-end in bioengineering, neuroscience, virology, cell biology, molecular biology, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience designing and testing AAV or other viral vectors in vivo to target the central nervous system.
• Demonstrated expertise developing or optimizing gene delivery modalities.
• Experience developing and executing assays to evaluate gene delivery and expression in brain tissue.
• Experience designing and executing in vivo studies and interpreting delivery and expression results.
• Experience using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier or otherwise facilitate delivery to the brain.
• Enjoyment of working on unusual or complex delivery-related problems.
• Ability and interest in collaborating and communicating with experts across disciplines.
• Desire to work on a fast-paced team addressing frontier scientific and technical problems.

Nice To Haves

• Experience advancing a vector through preclinical translation or into the clinic.
• Familiarity with CMC, scale-up, or GMP manufacturing considerations for viral vectors.
• Expertise in AAV virology or capsid engineering.
• Experience with large animal models.
• Familiarity with non-viral delivery technologies.
• Experience sourcing, evaluating, or in-licensing delivery technologies through external collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and test AAV and other viral vectors for CNS gene delivery, including serotype selection, cargo and regulatory element design, dose, and route of administration.
• Design, run, and interpret in vivo studies in rodents and, where appropriate, large animal models, using results to guide further optimization.
• Evaluate and benchmark routes of administration for viral gene delivery to the brain, including pairing viral vectors with focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening.
• Build or adapt assays and readouts to quantify delivery, expression, cell-type specificity, and tolerability in brain tissue.
• Evaluate emerging delivery technologies and help shape the team's longer-term delivery strategy.
• Make data-driven decisions about which routes and technologies to advance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree