Senior Scientist, Cell Therapy

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

20h

About The Position

We are seeking a highly-motivated and independent Senior Scientist with expertise in Cellular Therapy, Immunology, and/ or Immuno-Oncology and demonstrated experience in Computational Biology to join our rapidly growing Cell Therapy Team. In this role you will make use of your in vitro experience in T cell immunology and your knowledge of computational models and large-scale -omic datasets to contribute to the advancement of innovative Cell Therapy products by designing and conducting laboratory experiments, developing methodology, and generating and interpreting scientific data in a highly collaborative environment. Accountabilities Conducts routine drug discovery research experiments by applying the techniques of molecular and cellular biology, communicates the results to team members, and is involved in the interpretation of data Conducts hands-on in vitro research and contributes to the plans and designs of in vitro and in vivo studies Supports a team and works collaboratively in a matrix environment Assesses and reports data, with little or no guidance, in a clear and concise manner, while developing an understanding of its implications within the overall context of drug discovery Uses their knowledge of coding, data processing, and AI platforms/ machine learning to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data sources relevant to the development of new therapies Provides technical instruction to the team and allocates administrative work where possible Communicates and shares information between distinct projects within the bioscience function and across other functions as required Ensures own work, and work of peers, is compliant with Safety, Health and Environment standards and all other relevant internal AstraZeneca standards and external regulations

Requirements

• Senior Scientist: PhD in a relevant discipline (e.g. Biology, Immunology, Immuno-Oncology, Biomedical Engineering) with a minimum of 2 years of demonstrated experience in Computational Biology, Data Science, and/ or Computer Science
• Extensive in vitro skillset with a well-developed understanding of molecular and cellular biology, immunological assays, and cell transfection/ transduction, and advanced cell culture techniques
• Ability to design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments, and to review, analyse, and interpret results
• Proficiency in Python and/or R
• Expertise in -omics technologies, and ability to process large-scale biological datasets (e.g. single-cell/spatial transcriptomics, in-house proprietary data sources such as in vitro or in vivo data)
• Understanding of AI and predictive modelling tools

Nice To Haves

• Experience with genome editing technologies (CRISPR/ Cas9, base-editing, transposons, etc.)
• Hands-on experience in T-cell functional characterization assays such as in vitro cytotoxicity, proliferation, cytokine measurement, and multi-parameter flow cytometry
• Basic experience developing cellular therapies including CAR-T/ CAR-NK, TCR-T, and/ or TIL therapies
• Background in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry
• Prior experience in UNIX-based systems and high-performance computing (e.g. SLURM) with applications to large-scale data analysis and management
• Experience developing and implementing machine learning models
• In vivo skillset including animal handling, mouse tumour models, standard routes of dosing and engraftment, and tissue processing

Responsibilities

• Conducts routine drug discovery research experiments by applying the techniques of molecular and cellular biology, communicates the results to team members, and is involved in the interpretation of data
• Conducts hands-on in vitro research and contributes to the plans and designs of in vitro and in vivo studies
• Supports a team and works collaboratively in a matrix environment
• Assesses and reports data, with little or no guidance, in a clear and concise manner, while developing an understanding of its implications within the overall context of drug discovery
• Uses their knowledge of coding, data processing, and AI platforms/ machine learning to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data sources relevant to the development of new therapies
• Provides technical instruction to the team and allocates administrative work where possible
• Communicates and shares information between distinct projects within the bioscience function and across other functions as required
• Ensures own work, and work of peers, is compliant with Safety, Health and Environment standards and all other relevant internal AstraZeneca standards and external regulations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree