Senior Associate Scientist, Ophthalmology

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Ophthalmology Research team is seeking a Senior Associate Scientist to support preclinical research activities focused on retinal and ocular diseases. This role is well suited for a highly motivated, hands on Senior Associate Scientist with experience across in vitro and/or in vivo experimental systems, with exposure to or developing expertise in rodent in vivo retinal imaging, ocular dissections, and retinal disease models. The Senior Associate Scientist will contribute to experimental execution, robust data generation, and day to day scientific operations within a collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment, working closely with more senior scientists. This position is onsite and will be primarily located in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

Minimum B.S. degree in a life sciences-related discipline.
3-5 years of experience in ophthalmology, vision research, or a closely related biological research field, gained through industry, academic, or equivalent roles.
Experience with in vitro and/or in vivo experimental techniques, with the ability to learn and apply new methods in a preclinical research environment.
Experience handling ocular or neural tissues, or demonstrated aptitude for learning ocular dissection techniques.
General working knowledge of retinal anatomy and ocular disease biology.
Background exposure to retinal disease indications such as AMD, DME, ROP, and/or glaucoma.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple experiments or projects simultaneously.
Effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work productively within a collaborative, team based research environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience performing rodent in vivo retinal imaging (e.g., OCT, fundoscopy, FA).
Direct experience with preclinical retinal disease models (e.g., laser CNV, OIR/ROP, DR, glaucoma).
Experience conducting ocular dissections (retina, RPE/choroid, optic nerve, anterior segment).
Familiarity with quantitative image analysis tools or imaging software.
Exposure to RNAi, gene‑silencing technologies, or ocular drug delivery approaches.
Experience contributing to regulated preclinical studies or working with CRO‑generated data.
Demonstrated interest in scientific skill development and progression within a research‑focused career path.

Responsibilities

Support experimental planning and execute in vitro and in vivo studies for ophthalmology research programs advancing RNAi therapeutic development, under guidance as needed.
Perform and support rodent in vivo retinal imaging techniques, including: Optical coherence tomography (OCT), Fundus photography / fundoscopy, Fluorescein and/or OCT angiography (FA/OCTA).
Execute and assist with preclinical retinal disease models (e.g., laser induced CNV, OIR/ROP, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, geographic atrophy) following established protocols, with training provided for models new to the candidate.
Conduct ocular tissue dissections, including retina, RPE/choroid, optic nerve, and anterior segment, for downstream molecular, imaging, and histological analyses.
Perform in vivo pharmacology studies assessing pharmacodynamics, biodistribution, efficacy, and safety in ocular tissues.
Develop, optimize, and routinely perform in vitro assays and cellular models relevant to retinal biology.
Accurately collect, analyze, and document experimental data; contribute to data interpretation and presentation in collaboration with project team members.
Work closely with colleagues across discovery, delivery, genetics, and translational research functions to support program progression.
Prepare internal experimental summaries, reports, and presentations.
Maintain laboratory organization, documentation, and compliance with scientific best practices and reproducibility standards.