Senior Staff Scientist – iPSC-Derived Liver Cell Engineering

Senior Staff Scientist Position

The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation is developing advanced regenerative medicine platforms using human iPSC-derived cells, biomaterials, biofabrication, and translational tissue engineering technologies. The Institute works closely with clinicians, engineers, and external partners to develop scalable, clinically relevant solutions for organ failure and other major unmet medical needs.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Staff Scientist to serve as a technical lead for iPSC-derived liver cell engineering programs. The successful candidate will lead the development, optimization, and execution of human iPSC expansion, directed differentiation toward hepatocyte and related liver lineages, functional characterization, and the development of scalable workflows. This is a senior-level, non-faculty position focused on technical leadership, program execution, and platform development rather than independent PI-track grant writing.

The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on expertise in human iPSC culture and differentiation, a deep understanding of liver lineage biology, and the ability to drive complex, milestone-driven translational research programs in collaboration with biomaterials, biofabrication, perfusion, and in vivo teams.

Technical Leadership

• Lead the development, optimization, and troubleshooting of human iPSC culture and directed differentiation workflows.
• Establish robust protocols for differentiation toward hepatocyte-like cells and related liver lineages, including definitive endoderm and hepatic progenitor stages.
• Design and execute molecular, cellular, and functional characterization strategies for iPSC-derived liver cells.
• Develop scalable, reproducible, and well-documented workflows suitable for translational and preclinical research programs.
• Contribute to the establishment of internal standards for iPSC handling, differentiation quality, functional benchmarking, and batch-to-batch reproducibility.

Program Execution

• Serve as a core technical lead on institute-level regenerative medicine programs focused on iPSC-derived liver platforms.
• Own execution of key experimental workflows, deliverables, and milestone-driven research activities.
• Perform and oversee assays including qPCR, Western blotting, flow cytometry, immunostaining, ELISA-based assays, albumin secretion, urea production, and CYP
  450 activity.
• Troubleshoot complex biological and process-related challenges related to iPSC expansion, differentiation efficiency, maturation, and functional performance.
• Maintain detailed experimental documentation consistent with translational research and program reporting standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with biomaterials, biofabrication, perfusion, organoid, and in vivo research teams to integrate iPSC-derived liver cells into engineered tissue systems.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to support translational development, preclinical validation, and platform advancement.
• Contribute technical expertise to program planning, experimental design, milestone reviews, internal reports, and collaborative discussions.

Mentorship & Capability Building

• Mentor junior scientists, research associates, and trainees in iPSC culture, differentiation, and characterization workflows.
• Help establish internal expertise in iPSC-derived liver cell engineering and functional validation.
• Contribute to SOP development, training materials, and laboratory infrastructure needed to support scalable cell engineering programs.
• Support preparation of manuscripts, presentations, technical reports, and program deliverables.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Stem Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Developmental Biology, Regenerative Medicine, Cell Biology, or a related field.
• Significant hands-on experience with human iPSC culture, maintenance, expansion, and differentiation.
• Demonstrated expertise in directed differentiation toward hepatocyte-like cells, definitive endodermal lineages, or related cell types.
• Strong background in molecular and cellular biology techniques, including qPCR, flow cytometry, immunostaining, Western…