Merck & Co. is seeking a postdoctoral research fellow to investigate basic immunological mechanisms regulating vaccine durability, with a primary focus on the development of long-lived plasma cells and memory B cells.
Requirements
- Expertise in the in vivo development of adaptive immunological memory.
- Hands-on experience working with pre-clinical animal models and manipulating samples derived from these models.
- Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in aseptic techniques in tissue culture.
- Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in molecular biology.
- Hands-on experience with in vitro assay development and troubleshooting.
- Experience in immunological assays (e.g. ELISA, ELISPOT, high-parameter flow cytometry, cell sorting, in vitro restimulation assays).
- Strong publication record and ability to design and execute experiments and interpret data.
Responsibilities
- Establishment and optimization of vaccine models in pre-clinical animal species.
- Development of immunological assays to characterize antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses.
- Performing single cell assays including high-parameter flow cytometry and single cell omics profiling (e.g. single cell RNAseq, BCRseq, and ATACseq).
- Data interpretation, manuscript and patent preparation, publication, and presentation
- Launching independent projects that interrogate how decisions made during vaccine design impact the development of immunological memory
- Collaborating closely with a mentor to develop research plans, enable model development, conduct mechanistic studies, and generate novel insights
- Conducting experiments and interpreting data to understand the development of immunological memory
Other
- Ph.D. within 6 months of hire in Immunology, Vaccinology, or related field.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
- Travel Requirements: 10%
- VISA Sponsorship: Yes
- Relocation: Domestic
