Senior Scientist (In vivo Pharmacology & Translational Sciences), Cambridge, MA

Your impact

Isomorphic labs are seeking exceptional individuals to join a highly impactful Translational Biology sub-team, within our Translational Sciences team. This role is ideal for an experienced translational biologist with a skill for designing fit-for-purpose screening cascades to provide robust experimental evidence that our ML-designed medicines will have the desired therapeutic product profiles (TPPs).

 

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with world leading ML and drug discovery experts to develop imaginative new ways to test biological hypotheses, building a deep mechanistic understanding of drug target interactions in disease to drive our projects forward. You will be responsible for establishing and implementing translational strategies, advancing our oncology, immunology and partnership portfolios from early drug discovery through to candidate selection and ultimately to clinical phase work. You will serve as a vital link between computational biology and experimental validation, driving progress within a fully externalized model supported by CRO partnerships.You will have experience of working broadly across drug discovery projects and have the ability to think originally and critically, knowing when to apply innovative ideas, and think with a fresh approach.

 

What you will do

• Oversee the comprehensive planning, methodology development, fiscal management, and implementation of target-specific in vivo pharmacology, PK/PD, and safety assessments throughout our project portfolios.
• Design robust translation strategies explicitly geared toward clinical translation, leveraging datasets and biomarkers to inform patient selection frameworks.
• Play a critical role in defining the most appropriate model paradigm (in vivo, ex vivo patient-derived tissue etc) for each project’s translational package, including developing a biomarker strategy to deliver early clinical proof of concept.
• Work with CROs to design decision-making experiments, and deliver the highest quality biological data to inform the path to the clinic.
• Provide scientific expertise to the ML and computational biology teams, to support the development of world-leading models of biological systems.
• Distill biological data into useful insights and recommendations for project leaders, project team members, and partners.
• Be closely integrated within or lead projects to provide strategic input to deliver project success.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data to deliver high-quality reports that drive go/no-go decisions and support IND regulatory filings.
• Act as a vital bridge between computational prediction and experimental reality, collaborating closely with:
• ML and Data Science Teams: To translate in silico predictions into physical validation protocols and provide clean data loops to train future models, iteratively improving the predictive accuracy of our proprietary drug design platform.
• Discovery Biology and Lead Optimization: To seamlessly transition hits generated by our drug design engine into advanced preclinical characterization and guide SAR-driven design cycles with rapid, reliable preclinical efficacy data.
• DMPK and Toxicology: To align in vivo efficacy with ADME and exposure data, informing safety windows and dose selection.
• Clinical Development and Program Management: To translate preclinical PK/PD hypotheses into first-in-human trial designs, biomarker strategies, and patient inclusion criteria.

 

Skills and qualifications

Essential:

• Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Immunology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related scientific discipline.
• Deep understanding of target, mechanism, and disease interdependencies, preferably in oncology or immunology.
• Expert knowledge of innovative translational models, particularly in oncology and/or immune disorders.
• Extensive pharma/biotech experience developing Target Product Profiles (TPPs) and converting them into biological screening cascades, to guide impactful drug development.
• Proven track record in constructing translational data packages and biomarker strategies to inform clinical trial design.
• Experience in designing PK/PD experiments for human dose prediction and collaborating with ADMET, formulation, and clinical specialists to refine strategies.
• Ability to phase translational biology activities collaboratively, considering interdependencies to generate relevant data efficiently.
• Proven track record managing multi-vendor CRO networks (including contract negotiation, timeline accountability, and data quality oversight) and the ability to lead and influence teams without direct authority, setting technical direction and driving execution across matrixed, externally-dependent programs.
• Dynamism and agility, with ability to work across several projects and therapeutic areas.
• Exceptional project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex external studies simultaneously.
• Effective communication across a broad interdisciplinary team, working with key stakeholders with different skills and backgrounds.

Nice to have:

• Experience of leading biology within drug discovery programs, ideally from inception to clinical candidate delivery.
• Track record of driving strategic de-risking and SAR strategies, collaborating effectively across disciplines, including medicinal chemistry and DMPK. Good understanding of medicinal chemistry concepts.
• General knowledge of machine learning modelling applied to biological systems and drug discovery.
• Solid understanding of the competitive landscape in oncology and/or immunology or inflammation.