Research Associate - In Vivo Pharmacology; Lexington, MA,

About the Department

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas.

We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources, and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

The Research Associate will be responsible for strategy implementation and operations for conducting and summarizing non-clinical in vivo studies internally and externally in the support of new drug evaluations. Design, coordinate, and report pre-clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic in vivo experiments within research projects. Communicate evaluations and implications of in vivo data internally, externally, and in regulatory submissions as relevant.

Demonstrates some subject matter knowledge. Sets and achieves day-to-day operations with some impact on others within or outside the unit. Works on problems of limited scope. Follows standard practices and procedures in analysing situations or data from which answers can be readily obtained. Normally receives general instructions on routine work and detailed instructions on new projects or assignments. Might require guidance from manager/senior colleagues.

Basic, hands-on work plus beginning to be responsible for assays set-up & execution; participates in data analyses & presentation with supervisor to team or site; may develop/draft protocols of moderate complexity with supervisor input; may present ideas or data to team, site, or global project team.

Reports to the Senior Manager, Platform Innovation. This position will interact with the related research area team members and other research groups at Novo Nordisk, as well as global internal stakeholders and external research collaborators. This position will function as an individual contributor.

• Strategy implementation and operations for conducting non-clinical in vivo studies
• Drug candidate screening, hit identification, and lead optimization, preferably in oligonucleotide field.
• Design/conduct experiment to understand the mechanism of siRNA
• Assay optimization: develop and optimize multiplexed in situ hybridization (ISH/FISH) and immunohistochemistry/ immunofluorescence (IHC/IF) protocols
• Molecular biology methodologies, e.g., RNA extraction and RT-qPCR, protein extraction and western blot
• In vivo structure-activity-relationship studies (e.g., mouse dosing; sample analysis)
• Generating and maintaining clear experimental record and reports as needed
• Summarizing non-clinical in vivo studies
• Analyze and interpret data from in vivo studies
• Prepare comprehensive summaries and reports of the findings from in vivo studies
• Communicate the results and implications of in vivo studies to internal and external stakeholders
• Support of new drug evaluations
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support the evaluation of new drugs
• Contribute to the design and execution of pre-clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic in vivo experiments

• High School Diploma and 8+ years’ relevant experience required. With an Associate or Vocational degree, 4+ years’ relevant experience required; or BS/BA with limited to no experience
• Familiarity with in vivo models for non-clinical studies (e.g., animal handling, dosing, and…