Senior Scientist, In Vivo Cardiometabolic Diseases

MSD • South San Francisco, CA

1d • $131,400 - $206,800 • Onsite

About The Position

The Cardiometabolic Disease (CMD) department at our company's Research Labs South San Francisco is seeking a highly innovative and technically rigorous Scientist/Senior Scientist with deep expertise in preclinical in vivo models, particularly in cardiovascular and renal disease biology. This role is centered on hands-on ownership of complex rodent in vivo models and advanced physiological phenotyping to enable mechanistic discovery and target validation. The successful candidate will design, execute, and interpret sophisticated in vivo studies, often involving surgery, invasive measurements, and longitudinal functional readouts, and directly influence target selection and early translational strategy for cardio-renal programs. The position requires a scientist who is deeply embedded in experimental execution, brings strong physiological intuition, and thrives in a discovery environment where in vivo data are the primary driver of scientific decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's (with 7 years), Master's (with 4 years) or Ph.D. in Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences or a related discipline and relevant experience in academic or industrial settings
• Extensive hands-on experience with rodent in vivo models, with a strong emphasis on cardiovascular and/or renal disease
• Demonstrated proficiency in: Survival surgeries and post‑operative care
• Cardiovascular phenotyping (e.g., echocardiography, invasive hemodynamics, telemetry)
• Renal functional assessments (e.g., GFR, serum/urine biomarkers, metabolic cages)
• Proven ability to design, execute, and interpret complex in vivo studies with minimal supervision
• Strong grounding in disease biology and physiological mechanisms relevant to cardio‑renal disorders
• Track record of scientific productivity, including peer‑reviewed publications and/or impactful internal deliverables
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively in team‑based research environments

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with PK/PD relationships and translational biomarker strategies
• Experience with in vitro or ex vivo assays that complement in vivo mechanism‑of‑action studies
• Prior experience in an industry or advanced discovery research setting

Responsibilities

• Independently design, establish, optimize, and execute pre‑clinical acute and chronic in vivo studies using animal models relevant to cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases.
• Conduct laboratory procedures including animal handling, dosing, blood collection, and tissue biopsy sampling.
• Demonstrate strong understanding of anatomy and physiology, with experience in small‑animal surgical techniques, including survival and non‑survival procedures, with specialization in minipump implantation, telemetry implantation, and rodent vessel cannulation.
• Perform non-invasive and invasive cardiovascular phenotyping, including echocardiography, and pressure–volume loop assessment
• Analyze, interpret, and report data generated from in vivo experiments.
• Ensure experimental rigor, reproducibility, and appropriate study design (controls, powering, randomization, endpoints).
• Initiate and execute hypothesis‑driven discovery studies that integrate in vivo functional endpoints with molecular, cellular, and biochemical readouts.
• Partner with cross functional project teams and collaborators to advise on model selection, study design, and endpoint strategy and to translate in vivo findings into target validation, proof of mechanism, and proof of concept datasets.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of experimental work using electronic lab notebooks.
• Adhere to the highest standards of animal welfare, IACUC compliance, and laboratory best practices.
• Participate in shared laboratory responsibilities and contribute to continuous improvement of in vivo capabilities.
• Contribute to manuscripts, internal reports, and technical documentation.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior