Scientist / Senior Scientist, In Vivo Cancer Biology

Scientist / Senior Scientist, In Vivo Cancer Biology

• Full-time position
• Competitive compensation (Salary, Benefits & Options)
• 180 Varick Street, New York, and 430 E 29th Street, New York

Waypoint Bio is a venture-backed biotech startup building the next generation of cell therapies for solid tumors and autoimmune diseases. Traditional cell therapy development faces a trade-off between in vitro approaches that are fast but inaccurate, and in vivo approaches that are accurate but slow and expensive. Using our proprietary platform combining spatial biology, pooled screening, in silico protein engineering, and machine learning, we can obtain both depth and breadth when screening cell therapy candidates – speed without compromising on in vivo accuracy. Our team is highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and shares the mission of developing novel immune cell therapies to benefit patients' lives.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly-motivated, creative scientist who thrives in a fast-paced and collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise designing and using cutting-edge in vivo mouse models to test the efficacy & safety of cancer immunotherapies. They will also have deep technical knowledge of the immune system, the tumor microenvironment, and the design of novel immunotherapies. In this position, you will design and implement in vivo assays to assess the anti-tumor activity of CAR-T cells, develop novel immunocompetent and xenograft in vivo cancer models, and apply Waypoint’s multiplexed imaging platform to perform pooled in vivo screens of cell therapies. You will work collaboratively with computational and wet-lab scientists on every step of the pre-clinical therapeutic development process, from the initial design and screening of cell therapy constructs, subsequent ranking & filtering, and further optimization to obtain finalized therapeutic candidates.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop novel, clinically-relevant mouse models of solid tumors, including both xenograft and immunocompetent models.
• Compare existing CDX, PDX & immunocompetent mouse models to identify those that best mimic human disease.
• Perform all steps of in vivo mouse studies to assess CAR T efficacy and safety (including injections and surgeries for tumor implantation, tumor growth measurements, and harvesting organs for subsequent ex vivo analysis)
• Perform in vivo mouse studies with Waypoint’s high throughput CAR-T screening platform.
• Learn how to apply Waypoint’s proprietary multiplexed imaging & pooled screening technologies to mouse tissues.
• Actively engage in prioritizing key milestones and developing appropriate timelines.
• Provide conceptual input on in vivo experimental design and interpretation in a team setting.
• Keep detailed scientific records in an electronic lab notebook and actively contribute towards the organization of the lab.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, or a related field. Alternatively, Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree with 6 years or 4 years of relevant experience, respectively.
• 4+ years of academic or industry experience working on mouse models of solid tumors.
• Expertise in evaluating cancer therapies in mouse models, especially cell therapies (e.g. CAR-T, CAR-NK, TCR-T) or antibody therapies.
• Technical expertise in mouse injection methods (IV, SubQ, IP), subcutaneous tumor implantation and measurements, organ harvesting, animal phenotyping, and adherence to IACUC protocols.
• Knowledge of the interplay between the immune system and the tumor microenvironment.
• An excellent scientific track record with published papers or recent experience in the fields of cancer biology or immunotherapy.
• Superb organizational abilities and precise scientific record keeping in electronic lab notebooks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with both orthotopic and subcutaneous cancer models.
• Experience or knowledge of in vitro cancer models (e.g. engineered cell lines, co-culture systems, or cancer organoids).Ability to culture and genetically engineer primary immune cells in vitro.Experience with Regulatory T cells and in vivo studies of autoimmune or inflammatory indications.Experience with multiplexed imaging technologies, confocal microscopy, or immunohistochemistry.

Send CV and cover letter to apply:

jobs@waypointbio.com