Senior Research Associate, In Vivo Pharmacology

Who We Are

We are the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation. Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies; and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs.

United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) seeks to travel down the corridors of indifference to develop treatments for rare, deadly diseases. We were founded in 1996 by a family seeking a cure for their daughter’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Today, we have six FDA-approved therapies that treat PAH, pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. Our near-term pipeline seeks to develop additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

The cure for end-stage life-threatening diseases like PAH, PH-ILD, PF, and many others is an organ transplant, but only a small percentage of donated organs are available to address the vast need. For this reason, we are working to create manufactured organs to address the shortage of kidneys, hearts, lungs, and livers available for transplant. We believe an unlimited supply of tolerable, transplantable organs will eliminate the transplant waiting list and cure end-stage organ diseases for which transplant is not currently an option.

Thymmune Therapeutics, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a machine learning-driven thymic cell engineering platform to restore normal immune function in aging and disease. The company’s cutting-edge approach in iPSC-thymic cell manufacturing can generate off-the-shelf cells at scale. The company is developing a pipeline of therapies to treat immunodeficiencies, transplant-related, and autoimmune disorders.

Who You Are

If you're energized by the idea of turning scientific questions into therapeutic breakthroughs, this role is for you. As a Senior Research Associate, In Vivo Pharmacology, you'll help advance next-generation cell therapies through hands-on research, innovative animal studies, and cutting-edge immunology. Join a team that values curiosity, rigorous science, and the occasional "that's interesting..." moment that leads to the next big discovery.

The Senior Research Associate will play a key role in advancing Thymmune's thymic rejuvenation programs by conducting in vivo studies and performing comprehensive analytical assessments to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iPSC-derived thymic cell therapies. This individual will establish and execute animal models to support proof-of-concept and pharmacology studies, driving the generation of high-quality preclinical data to enable nonclinical development.

• Perform standard dosing procedures (SC, IM, IV, IP) for cell administration, blood sampling techniques (submandibular bleeds and tail nick) for immune cell profiling, as well as tissue collection (e.g., lymph tissue, muscle, and major organs) via necropsy
• Perform cell isolation from primary tissues and conduct downstream biological assays to evaluate cell quality and function, including Flow Cytometry (FACS), RT-qPCR/ ddPCR, MSD/ELISA, Immunofluorescence imaging
• Maintain high standards of data integrity and ensure accurate, reproducible, and well-documented data to support reliable analysis and decision-making. Analyze complex datasets using statistical software (e.g., GraphPad Prism) and effectively present findings to the scientific team.
• Document in vitro and in vivo studies using electronic notebook (e.g., Benchling) to maintain detailed records of study design, experimental procedure, analytical data, and results
• Lead study planning and organization, write study reports and participate in the strategic planning of long-term studies
• Perform specialized tissue processing and in vivo imaging analysis, including immunohistochemistry (IHC) and IVIS-based reporter gene imaging
• Develop and execute immunological assays (e.g., cell activation, cytotoxicity, mixed lymphocyte reaction) to assess the allo-reactivity and tolerance of immune cells
• Conduct and/or assist with small rodent surgical procedures (e.g., tissue transplantation, cell implantation), experience in surgical procedures is a key asset
• Maintain cell culture of cell line or primary immune cells using aseptic techniques
• Ensure strict adherence to all Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for animal welfare
• Collaborate cross-functionally to support timely execution of in vivo studies to characterize and select candidate cell therapy product
• All other duties as required

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years of experience conducting in vivo pharmacology studies, including study execution, animal handling, dosing, sample collection, and tissue processing with a Bachelor's Degree in immunology, regenerative medicine, or a related life sciences discipline or 3+ years of experience conducting in vivo pharmacology studies, including study execution, animal handling, dosing, sample collection, and tissue processing with a Master's Degree n immunology, regenerative medicine, or a related life sciences discipline
• In Vivo Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in rodent handling, tissue collection/dissection, and multiple routes of administration, including intravenous (IV), intraperitoneal (IP), and subcutaneous (SC) injections., and tissue dissection is required
• Analytical Skills: Strong experience with Flow Cytometry, qPCR, ELISA/MSD techniques. Demonstrated ability to analyze data, apply appropriate statistical methods, and independently troubleshoot experimental variability.
• Communication and collaboration; Excellent oral and written communication skills. Must be able to structure tasks, set priorities, and work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1+ year of experience in the biotech and/or biopharma industry
• In Vitro Skills: Hands-on experience with the isolation, processing, and culture of primary human cells or tissues is preferred.
• Scientific knowledge: Fundamental knowledge of thymus biology and immunology or demonstrated ability to rapidly acquire expertise in these areas, is preferred.

Job Location

United Therapeutics is hiring this role to be based onsite with Thymmune in Cambridge, MA. This position is completely 100% based onsite.