Senior Scientist, Translational Medicines & Biomarkers

Avalo Therapeutics•Chesterbrook, PA

About The Position

At Avalo (ahh-vah'-low), we are 100% focused on developing treatments for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases with large unmet needs that affect millions worldwide. Our strategy is to develop medicines that target the IL-1β pathway, which is a central driver of the inflammatory process. We share a commitment to teamwork, passion for science, and dedication to patients suffering from acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. Our collective expertise in discovery, development, and regulatory approvals is evidenced in our strong individual track records of advancing multiple therapeutic programs to successful commercialization. Position Summary: The Senior Scientist ,Translational Medicines & Biomarkers will provide scientific leadership and support across clinical and preclinical development programs. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing translational and biomarker strategies, interpreting biomarkers data integration with PK, PD, ADA, NAb, efficacy, and safety data, and supporting the advancement of clinical-stage and early pipeline programs. This role requires a scientist who can independently analyze complex datasets, develop scientifically rigorous conclusions, and communicate actionable recommendations to multidisciplinary teams and senior leadership.

Requirements

PhD or advanced equivalent degree in immunology, molecular biology, biomedical engineering or a related discipline
5-8 years of experience in pharmaceutical development, or translational clinical research, specifically in the I&I space
Experience in hands-on programming for single cell RNA-seq and protein biomarkers analysis including statistics and machine learning knowledge- significant advantage.
Strong understanding in in-vitro cell-based assays, and in-vivo inflammatory diseases models
Ability to integrate complex data from multiple sources
Demonstrated ability to independently develop and communicate scientific conclusions and recommendations
Experience working with cross-functional clinical-development teams
Strong scientific writing skills
Ability to manage multiple programs and priorities in a dynamic biotechnology environment
Scientific independence
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills
Ability to move from data to conclusions and recommendations
Ability to identify the most decision-relevant scientific questions
Attention to data quality and analytical rigor
Ability to operate effectively with incomplete or evolving information
Strong collaboration and communication
Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
Ownership, accountability, and urgency
Ability to manage several programs simultaneously

Nice To Haves

Experience with monoclonal antibody development
Experience in hidradenitis suppurativa, inflammatory diseases, rheumatology, dermatology, or autoinflammatory diseases
Familiarity with cytokine biology and immune-pathway modulation
Experience with multiplex biomarker platforms
Experience with exploratory statistical analyses and biomarker-subgroup analyses
Hands-on programming of large datasets – a significant advantage
Experience managing CROs and external bioanalytical laboratories

Responsibilities

Develop and implement biomarker and translational strategies for clinical-development programs
Identify pharmacodynamic and potentially predictive, prognostic, and patient-stratification biomarkers
Provide immunoassays (including PK and PD) input into clinical protocols and sampling schedules.
Ensure that biomarker plans address the key clinical-development questions for each program
Evaluate assay readiness, feasibility, validation requirements, and sample-handling considerations
Lead or support analysis of clinical biomarker datasets
Integrate biomarker results with efficacy, safety, PK, ADA, NAb, and patient-characteristic data to generate a clear PD picture
Evaluate response-associated biomarkers, disease subgroups, and potential confounding factors
Distinguish exploratory signals from robust and biologically meaningful findings
Develop clear scientific conclusions and recommendations
Identify additional analyses required to address emerging questions
Evaluate target biology, mechanisms of action, and disease rationale
Develop translational plans for early development programs
Design or recommend experiments to test key mechanistic hypotheses
Lead CRO oversights, including assay designs, assays executions and raw data analysis.
Support candidate-selection and indication-selection decisions
Work closely with all stakeholders to ensure program success
Collaborate with CROs, bioanalytical laboratories, consultants, and academic experts
Represent Translational Medicine and Biomarkers in program team meetings
Communicate complex scientific findings clearly to scientific stakeholders
Prepare internal data-review presentations and program recommendations
Conduct literature reviews and competitive landscape assessments