Title: Scientist/Sr. Scientist, Biology
Location: Rockville, Maryland, USA
Nexagen Search is representing a biotechnology company that is hiring for an Scientist/Senior Scientist to join their research team in Rockville, MD.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design, execute, and interpret in vivo pharmacology and efficacy studies to support drug discovery programs targeting neurological disorders
- Establish and optimize rodent models of neurodegenerative disease, including dosing strategies, PD endpoints, tissue collection, and data analysis
- Drive PK/PD- and biomarker-informed study design, ensuring in vivo data meaningfully supports translational hypotheses and program decisions
- Coordinate in vivo studies internally and with CRO partners, providing scientific oversight and ensuring data quality and rigor
- Develop, optimize, and execute supporting in vitro and ex vivo assays (e.g., qPCR, ELISA, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry)
- Maintain thorough documentation (ELN, SOPs, protocols) and present data clearly to internal teams and external stakeholders
- Propose innovative ideas, experimental approaches, and strategies to advance pipeline development
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including discovery biology, chemistry, translational science, and development
Qualifications and Experience
- PhD in Neuroscience, Cell/Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, or related field with 2–5 years of postdoctoral or industry experience
- Demonstrated hands-on expertise in in vivo mouse models of disease, including study design, dosing paradigms, PD endpoints, and tissue analysis.
- Ability to independently interpret in vivo efficacy data and translate findings into clear biological and program-level conclusions
- Experience with supporting in vitro/ex vivo techniques such as cell-based assays, ELISA, qPCR, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and biochemical assays.
- Experience in a variety of cellular, molecular biology and/or protein chemistry related methods.
- A team player who also has resilience and will be comfortable with complexity and ambiguity • Good communication skills (oral and written)
Recruiter in Charge: Jeff Caskey
Managing Partner – jeff@nexagensearch.com