Research Scientist II - Cardiovascular Disease Initiative

Research Scientist II - Cardiovascular Disease Initiative

Join to apply for the Research Scientist II - Cardiovascular Disease Initiative role at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, a world leader in genetic research, is looking for an exceptional candidate to join the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative (CVDi) led by Dr. Patrick Ellinor. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of computational biologists, laboratory scientists, and clinicians. The team works together to identify new genes associated with cardiovascular diseases including atrial fibrillation and heart failure and to then launch new therapeutic drug discovery programs based on these human genetic insights.

CVDi project teams work closely with Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT) to advance challenging projects using cutting‑edge technologies. The candidate will work as a member of the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative to advance translational research projects. Specifically, the candidate will conduct experimental research studies at the bench, supervise a research associate, and lead therapeutics project(s) targeting cardiovascular disease. Example work streams for projects include determining the cellular localization of a candidate gene by immunohistochemistry, identifying interacting partners with the target protein, assessing the suitability of the gene for assay development, and developing assays for small molecule hit identification, validation and mechanistic characterization.

The candidate will be responsible for developing, characterizing and using in vivo models for target validation. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated candidate interested in exploring the early stages of drug development in a vibrant atmosphere.

• Design and execute research plans to ensure that critical project requirements, timelines and deliverables are met.
• Develop and execute cell‑based assays to support target validation and hit identification & optimization.
• Develop and execute in vivo mouse models and experiments to support target validation.
• Contribute to target validation using genomic perturbation techniques such as CRISPR, siRNA, etc.
• Support drug programs during the pre‑clinical development stage.
• Troubleshoot scientific problems with minimal guidance.
• Analyze experimental data and communicate scientific results to team members and leadership.
• Supervise and mentor Research Associate(s) and junior team members.
• Contribute to various research projects in a collaborative manner.

• Ph.D. in Biology (Developmental, Molecular, Cellular Biology), Biochemistry, or related life science field with 2–5 years experience in an industrial or academic setting and a proven record of successful interaction with external collaborators and team members.
• Hands‑on experience in cellular assay development and proficiency with standard assay formats (e.g. imaging, luminescence‑/fluorescence‑based cellular readouts, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting) in primary and cultured cells.
• Experience with mouse handling, colony management, and drug administration/dosing (IP, IV, SC, RO, gavage, and blood collection).
• Experience with various cardiac mouse models and their characterization is preferred.
• Proficiency with echocardiography, hemodynamics, and surgery in rodents is a plus.
• Proficiency with tissue and cell‑based imaging techniques, e.g. tissue sectioning, staining, histology, confocal microscopy, in situ hybridization is a plus.
• Experience with cardiomyocyte‑based assays such as calcium imaging, contractility and in vitro modeling of cardiac disease is preferred.
• Experience with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture and cardiomyocyte differentiation is a plus.
• Proficient with standard cellular and molecular biology techniques such as qPCR, Western blot, siRNA transfection, viral transduction, etc.
• Experience with CRISPR targeting technologies in primary cells.
• Strong understanding of cardiac biology and disease.
• Ability to develop research plans for executing strategy, operate and maintain equipment, and perform laboratory work, with complete…