Senior Scientist II - Immune Cell Depletion & Discovery Biology

AbbVie•Cambridge, MA

16h•$109,500 - $208,500

About The Position

AbbVie’s Immunology Discovery organization seeks a Senior Scientist II to support IND-enabling and early-stage discovery programs and research into selective pathogenic cell depletion. This lab-based role involves hands-on translational in vitro and ex vivo experimentation and PK/PD assessments, including autoimmune disease efficacy models, to evaluate depletion strategies and therapeutic candidates. The scientist will conceive and implement experimental approaches to address scientific questions in immune cell depletion; identify and optimize methods, assays, and techniques for pathogenic cell target discovery, therapeutic development, and immunological mechanisms of action. The role contributes scientific insights on inflammatory pathways, immune cell trafficking, immune receptor modulation and targeting, tissue target density, and receptor occupancy. The scientist collaborates with in vivo pharmacology, DMPK, technology groups, and other cross-functional teams to solve technical problems and advance projects.

Requirements

Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Immunology or a related biological science.
Typically 12+ years of relevant experience with a bachelor’s degree, 10+ years with a master’s degree, or 4+ years with a PhD.
Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of immunology and related biological sciences, including cell biology and cell signaling.
Hands-on experience with multicolor flow cytometry, cellular potency assays, cell depletion assays, and cytokine-based cellular assays.
Ability to independently design, execute, and troubleshoot complex experiments.
Strong organizational skills and meticulous documentation practices to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
Excellent written and oral scientific communication skills for report writing, data presentation, and team discussions.
Ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams.
Adaptability, curiosity, and willingness to learn and apply new techniques and methodologies.

Nice To Haves

Experience in autoimmune disease biology, pathogenic immune cell populations, target validation, or immune cell depletion.
Experience with live cell imaging, including Incucyte or xCELLigence.
Experience with molecular biology techniques, including digital PCR (ddPCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and RNA isolation.
Experience using bioinformatics and computational biology to analyze high-dimensional immunology datasets, including single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk transcriptomics, immune-receptor repertoire data, or multi-omics, and translating findings into testable hypotheses and drug discovery decisions.

Responsibilities

Develop novel experimental approaches and immunological methods to address complex research questions.
Independently design experiments and troubleshoot technical challenges while maintaining rigorous scientific standards.
Design and perform immunological assays, including ELISPOT, cytokine profiling, cellular potency assays, and whole blood assays, using complex cellular systems to characterize immune responses, target engagement, depletion activity, selectivity, and recovery.
Use multicolor flow cytometry and molecular assays, including digital PCR, qPCR, RNA extraction, and sequencing, to quantify biomarkers and gene expression changes and establish PK/PD relationships.
Use AI-assisted bioinformatics and computational approaches to identify and prioritize disease-relevant targets, integrating multi-omics and human disease data into testable hypotheses.
Analyze and interpret experimental data, draw conclusions, and design follow-up experiments to test hypotheses and guide project decisions.
Prepare technical reports and documentation, and communicate findings through presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
Participate in cross-functional discussions and troubleshooting with in vivo pharmacology, DMPK, and other internal teams.