Senior Scientist – In Vivo Neuroimmunology

Merck • Boston, MA

9h • $119,100 - $187,500 • Onsite

About The Position

Our company's Neuroscience is recruiting a Sr. Scientist in our Neuroimmunology team in Boston, MA to lead in vivo model development and validation to advance novel immune-based therapies for CNS diseases. As a Sr. Scientist, you will apply your expertise to evaluate PK/PD and disease-relevant endpoints in murine models to advance pipeline programs. This lab-based role requires independent ownership of study design, execution, sample processing and evaluation, data analysis, and clear communication of results to cross-functional project teams and stakeholders. The successful candidate will be able to work independently as well as proactively collaborate with colleagues to generate high-impact data to drive decision making and advance drug discovery.

Requirements

• Demonstrated hands‑on experience designing and executing rodent in vivo experiments including stereotaxic surgeries (intracerebral and intracerebroventricular injections)
• Proficiency with multiple routes of dosing, blood collection methods, cardiac perfusion, and dissection of CNS (discrete brain regions, spinal cord) and peripheral tissues
• Practical experience preparing tissue fractions (soluble/insoluble proteins) and performing biochemical and molecular assays (e.g. ELISA, OLINK, NULISA, western blot, RNA sequencing or qPCR)
• Experience independently analyzing and visualizing experimental data including from multiplexed platforms
• Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to prepare study reports and present findings to diverse audiences
• Ability to work independently within a collaborative, cross‑functional team
• Master's (with 5+ years) or Ph.D. (with 1 year) in Neuroscience, Molecular Cell Biology, Pharmacology, Biology or related field with relevant experience

Nice To Haves

• Industry drug‑discovery experience in pharmaceutical or biotech settings
• Hands‑on proficiency with murine procedures including CSF collection and osmotic‑pump implantation/management
• Experience with inflammatory and neurodegenerative transgenic mouse models or with PK/PD and dose–response study design/interpretation
• Experience designing and executing sequencing studies (i.e. bulk RNAseq, scRNAseq or snRNAseq), working knowledge of data analysis tools (Python and/or RStudio preferred) and experience generating figures/reports
• Experience mentoring or supervising early‑career scientists and collaborating across functional teams
• Record of contributions to scientific publications or presentations

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and report murine in vivo studies addressing target validation, mechanism of action, PK/PD, and translational biomarkers; take end‑to‑end ownership of study planning and documentation.
• Perform and supervise dosing (IV, IP, PO, SC and other routes), blood collection, cardiac perfusion, and careful dissection/collection of CNS and peripheral tissues.
• Prepare and fractionate tissues for biochemical and molecular assays (soluble/insoluble protein fractions) and execute immunoassays and RNA analyses (e.g. ELISA, OLINK, NULISA, western blot, flow cytometry, qPCR/RT‑qPCR, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing).
• Process, curate, and analyze datasets; apply statistical and computational tools to generate figures, study reports and presentations that inform program decisions.
• Troubleshoot and optimize experimental and analytical workflows, validate new methods, ensure reproducibility, and maintain accurate records.
• Communicate results clearly to project teams and the broader scientific community (internal reports, presentations, and publications), and uphold laboratory safety, animal welfare and regulatory compliance while collaborating across functions and with external partners.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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