Senior Scientist, In Vitro Pharmacology

What You Will Contribute To Altos

We are seeking an experienced, self-motivated, and intellectually curious Sr. Scientist to join our In Vitro Pharmacology team at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) within Altos Labs. In this role, you will be at the forefront of cutting-edge research in a unique environment where leading research labs work side by side with industry scientists. The ideal candidate will bring a deep passion for science, a proven track record of creative problem-solving, and a collaborative spirit to drive forward our mission of understanding and harnessing the cellular mechanisms of aging and cellular rejuvenation. This is a unique opportunity to join a dynamic team and shape pioneering projects within a vibrant and supportive scientific environment.

You will be responsible for working with leading researchers at the Institutes of Science (IOS), Computation (IoC), and Medicine (IoM) to identify candidate drug targets, generating tool and therapeutic proteins, and for developing biophysical, biochemical, and cell-based assays to validate targets and enable drug discovery and development. You will contribute to our drug discovery campaigns through the selection of drug candidates and support a diverse portfolio of early exploratory and drug-discovery stage projects. Your expertise and leadership will be instrumental in driving forward our efforts to understand the deep mechanistic biology of rejuvenation/aging in support of target validation and drug discovery.

We expect you to have a strong commitment to a team-based approach, with an emphasis on collaborative success and open communication. The ideal candidate should see themselves as an integral part of a larger team, actively contributing to a supportive and inclusive environment, sharing knowledge, and working together to overcome challenges and achieve collective goals.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in leading and managing scientific projects, with a proven ability to guide research from conceptualization through to execution and analysis. This includes setting project goals, designing experimental frameworks, managing timelines, and coordinating with cross-functional teams to achieve milestones and deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Conceive, develop, and optimize biophysical, biochemical, and cell-based assays to support our in-depth understanding of the mechanistic biology of cellular rejuvenation and aging.
• Generate tool and therapeutic proteins by leading construct design, expression, purification, and characterization in house and at CROs.
• Lead in vitro pharmacology efforts for multiple projects efficiently and collaboratively to reach go/no-go decisions.
• Implement in vitro pharmacology strategies to validate targets and elucidate mechanisms of action for potential drug candidates.
• Proactively initiate and maintain collaborations with Institute of Science (IOS) and Institute of Computation (IoC) labs and cross-functional teams to identify and validate novel drug targets.
• Work closely with process development and analytical development teams in Technical Operations to discover processes and assays that will align with their downstream operations.
• Provide scientific leadership and expertise in the field of aging/rejuvenation biology.
• Drive data analysis and interpretation to guide decision-making processes.
• Support a diverse portfolio of early exploratory and drug-discovery stage projects.
• Stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological advancements in the field.

Who You Are

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Pharmacology, Biology, or a related field plus a minimum of 6 years of relevant post-graduate experience (postdoc and/or industry experience) leading in vitro research aimed at MOA elucidation and/or drug discovery.
• Ability to think independently to design experiments and generate robust, reproducible, and generalizable results.
• Proven track record of solving complex biological mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as part of cross-functional teams.
• Extensive experience in biophysical, biochemical, and cell-based assay development with a background in relevant laboratory techniques and methods.
• Record of high productivity and ability to complete work in a timely manner.
• Proficient in documenting experimental design, analysis, and interpretation of data in an ELN.
  Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced experience in biophysical assay development (SPR/BLI, ITC, DLS).
• Advanced experience in biochemical assay development (ELISA, Luminex, enzymatic assays).
• Advanced experience in producing recombinant proteins, including antibodies, including construct design, protein expression, purification, and characterization, protein and antibody engineering.
• Advanced experience in cell-based assay development (reporter cell systems, primary cell assays, flow cytometry, microscopy, signaling pathway elucidation screens).
• Experience with high throughput screening (HTS) assay development.
• Cell engineering for the development of cellular models and reporter assays.
• Experience working across diverse therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, biotherapeutics, nucleic acid therapeutics, and gene therapy is highly desirable.
• Experience working on cellular models of diverse age-related conditions is desirable, including metabolic, musculoskeletal, immune-related, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases.
• Strong experience in the field of aging/rejuvenation biology.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams.