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Postdoc / Visiting Scientist – Bioengineering CV Research models

South San Francisco, California, United States

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.
 
Led by Tassos Giannakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D. and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.
 
We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.
 
At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.
 
These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.
 
 

Position Title: Postdoc / Visiting Scientist – Bioengineering CV Research models

Department: Research and Translational Sciences

Reports To: Mary Papadaki, Principal Scientist, In Vitro Pharmacology

Scientific Mentor: Dilara Batan, Scientist, Biochemistry

Location: South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

 

Job Overview

Kardigan is seeking a postdoc / visiting scientist with a bioengineering background to help us build physiologically relevant in vitro models to study a range of cardiovascular diseases. The project seeks to model cardiovascular health and disease into engineered heart tissue models. This will enable high- throughput multi-well mechanistic and physiological assessments in vitro. The tools developed and the mechanistic and functional insights discovered under the project will enable the next generation of therapies from the Kardigan pipeline. Ultimately, the project aims to train the next generation of translational scientists in modern cardiovascular drug discovery and development within industry settings. This will not only expand the pool of well-trained scientists available to industry but also foster future partnerships between academic research and industry.

The position would be based in South San Francisco, CA. Short travel nationally may be required as part of our academic collaborations.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Design, fabricate, and optimize 3D EHT constructs using atrial, ventricular myocardium, and aortic valve leaflets.
  • Integrate various cell types (e.g., iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, valvular cells) into tissue constructs and in vitro models.
  • Ensure tissue viability, maturation, and functional integrity over time.
  • Perform in vitro functional measurements of contractility as well as tissue compliance/ stiffness.
  • Analyze differences between healthy vs. disease models to understand pathophysiology and disease mechanism.
  • Conduct immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, qPCR, and Western blotting to evaluate structural and functional markers.
  • Conduct in vitro assay screening of Kardigan compounds.
  • Perform quantitative analysis of biomechanical and molecular data, create reports and communicate findings to company-wide meetings.
  • The project must lead to at least one scientific publication.

 

Qualifications and Preferred Skills

  • A PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Cardiac Physiology, Bioengineering, Cell Biology or related field. Strong background in Biomaterials is preferred.
  • Research experience with engineered heart tissue (EHT) or 3D cardiac tissue models.
  • Expertise in biomaterials, 3D printing, hydrogels and/or scaffold- based approaches is a requirement
  • Familiarity with cell culture including induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture, cardiac differentiation and primary isolation and culture protocols is preferred but not required.
  • Strong publication record in tissue engineering, cardiovascular research and/or mechanobiology.
  • Ability to work independently as well as in cross functional teams.
  • High energy, with a passion for fundamental disease understanding, quality drug development, and entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Strong problem-solving capacity - enjoys complex challenges and has the accountability to deliver on ambitious, but realistic, business, and scientific goals.
  • Excellent communication skills – ability to communicate science clearly and effectively to a broad range of audiences including non-specialists.

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