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Sr Scientist, Translational Biology

Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Join us in developing pioneering therapies that aim to transform the treatment of CKD and change patients’ lives. Our technology is designed to treat diseased kidneys using a patient’s own cells and may prevent or delay dialysis or transplant.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Scientist – Translational Biology to support mechanism of action elucidation for rilparencel, our autologous kidney cell therapy currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical study, as well as the development of next-generation cell therapies by leading high-depth analytical study design & characterization of both in vitro & in vivo models. This role will focus on applying state-of-the-art multi-omic approaches – including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq), spatial transcriptomics, single cell epigenomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics, CITE-Seq, and CyTOF – to advance our understanding of cell therapy mechanisms of action, persistence, potency, and safety.

The ideal candidate will have expertise in multi-omic data study design, data generation, data analysis & interpretation, & data integration; kidney and immune cell profiling; and cell therapy research enabling them to drive translational insights that inform mechanism of action elucidation, therapeutic development, and biomarker discovery.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

  • In Vitro Model Sample Characterization for Cell Therapy Development:
    • Design and execute high-depth multi-omic analyses of in vitro cell therapy treatment models of chronic kidney disease
    • Apply and optimize advanced scRNA-Seq, spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics, single cell epigenomics, etc. methodologies to characterize cell therapy potency mechanisms, phenotype, activation states, fibrosis, inflammation, metabolic states, differentiation potential, and functional persistence to elucidate cell therapy mechanism of action.
    • Evaluate cellular heterogeneity, exhaustion markers, and metabolic profiles to optimize cell therapy manufacturing processes.
  • In Vivo Model Sample Characterization for Cell Therapy Assessment:
    • Develop and implement high-resolution multi-omic strategies to assess in vivo engraftment, trafficking, expansion, persistence, and diseased kidney microenvironment interactions in clinically predictive type 2 diabetes chronic kidney disease cell therapy treatment models.
    • Utilize single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to profile immune dynamics, cytokine signaling, and resistance mechanisms in disease-relevant models.
    • Identify biomarkers of efficacy, durability, and safety that can guide clinical translation.
  • Cross-functional Collaboration & Scientific Leadership:
    • Partner with cell biologists, immunologists, computational biologists, bioinformaticians, non-clinical, & clinical teams to integrate multi-omic findings into translational research programs.
    • Coordinate with contract research organizations (CROs) on prioritized analytical assay outsourcing for data generation & analysis.
    • Provide strategic insights for candidate selection, potency assays, and biomarker strategies to support BLA-enabling studies.
    • Mentor junior scientists and contribute to data-driven decision-making in cell therapy development.
  • Data Interpretation & Communication:
    • Lead interpretation and visualization of multi-omic data to uncover key insights for cell therapy mechanism of action elucidation.
    • Communicate findings effectively across cross-functional teams, including research, process & analytical development, and clinical translation groups.
    • Contribute to regulatory filings, scientific publications, and presentations at key industry and academic conferences.

 

Qualifications: 

  • Education/Training: Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Systems Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field, with 2+ years of industry or post-doctoral experience.
  • Experience:
    • Strong hands-on experience with scRNA-Seq, spatial transcriptomics, single cell epigenomics, CITE-Seq, metabolomics, proteomics, and multi-omic integration.
    • Experience working with primary human cells, including kidney and immune cells
    • Familiarity with computational & bioinformatics tools for high-dimensional data generation, analysis, & interpretation
    • In vitro functional assays, and non-clinical in vivo models of chronic kidney disease & xenogeneic models for human cell therapy evaluation
    • Cell therapy discovery, research, & development
    • Translational biology & medicine
    • Chronic kidney disease
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • Regenerative medicine
    • Stem cell-derived therapies
  • Knowledge:
    • Chronic kidney disease biology & competitive landscape
    • Type 2 diabetes biology & competitive landscape
    • State-of-the-art single cell -omics methods for data generation, analysis, visualization, & interpretation
  • Skills:
    • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and collaborate across disciplines
    • Strong team player
    • Goal-oriented mindset
    • Ability to focus efforts & complete deliverables on-time and on-budget

ProKidney is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. 

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