Principal Scientist - Immunology

PopVax is an Indian full-stack biotechnology company developing novel mRNA vaccines and therapeutics using computational protein design. Our first vaccine is a next-generation COVID-19 booster, which will enter a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial in the U.S. early this year. This vaccine is intended to broaden protection against both current and predicted future SARS-CoV-2 variants, reducing the possibility of a new mutation in the virus suddenly causing another massive wave of infection. We have a preclinical pipeline of 6 additional novel vaccine candidates built on our mRNA-LNP platform that we will be taking into clinical trials over the next few years. Our work to date has been funded primarily via project agreements totalling 10+ million USD with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Vitalik Buterins public health & biosecurity organisation Balvi.

We are seeking an exceptional, experienced senior immunologist with specific expertise in vaccine development to spearhead the overall immunology efforts at PopVax.

RESPONSIBILITES

• Contribute to antigen design and help predict the impact of changes to antigen design on immune response

• Plan and execute in vitro and in vivo experiments to comprehensively characterize the immunogenecity of mRNA-LNP vaccine candidates

• Lead communication and drive collaboration between the immunology and the antigen design, mRNA, and formulation teams

• Coordinate the overall execution of studies with external partners and contract research organisations

• Develop study outlines, detailed timelines and oversee the logistics for execution of parallel and staggered experiments

• Ensure effective and thorough documentation, analysis, and interpretation of the experimental data generated by the immunology team

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD and 8+ years or Masters and 10+ years of experience in immunology, biochemistry, life sciences, or a related discipline, with a minimum of 5 years of experience in vaccine design and development in academia or industry

• Experience in performing and in-depth understanding of routine immunology techniques such as ELISA, ELISPOT, multiplex assays, and multi-colour flow cytometry, including intracellular cytokine staining

• Expertise (and ideally publications) in viral immunology experience in vaccine antigen design in particular is a huge plus

• In-depth understanding of the design, execution, and analysis of virus and pseudovirus neutralization assays

• Familiarity with data analysis software such as FlowJo and Prism

• Strong written and oral communication skills

• A proven track record of research publications and, ideally, presentations at research conferences

• Proven leadership and mentorship experience in pre-clinical research and development

• Prior work on or experience with myocarditis is a plus

We offer very competitive compensation, comprehensive health insurance covering immediate family (including pre-existing conditions), and, most importantly, a collaborative work environment focused on solving the cutting-edge multidisciplinary challenges of our novel mRNA platform.