Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Neuroscience - Ophthalmic Imaging Biomarkers

Job Description

New hires working in our US & Puerto Rico locations will be required to demonstrate that they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or qualify for a medical or religious exemption or accommodation to this vaccination requirement, subject to applicable law.

Be a part of the legacy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program

Our Research Laboratories’ Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.

Position Overview:

The Neuroscience Department is seeking postdoctoral fellowship applicants to be a part of an interdisciplinary team of drug discovery scientists within our Company's Research Laboratories.

Projects will seek to develop ophthalmic imaging biomarkers and analytical methods to further understand the biology of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Projects are expected to emphasize the identification and translation of cellular biology, including lysosome/autophagy pathways and biomarkers associated with proteinopathy. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to explore and develop various retinal imaging modalities and their utility in translating in vitro biomarkers to the in vivo setting. Both in vitro and in vivo studies will be conducted to identify and validate cellular pathways relating to abnormal protein clearance in the disease state using cell-based and rodent models. Candidates should have a strong background in neuroscience and a passion for developing translatable clinical biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Established expertise with in vivo ophthalmic imaging techniques including OCT, FAF, SLO in rodents is preferred. This fellowship is a unique opportunity to learn about the process of drug discovery while contributing to the understanding of the biology underlying neurodegenerative diseases.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Working with disease area collaborators in the planning, execution and analysis of studies

• Biochemical phenotyping studies of retinal pathology in various animal models of neurodegenerative disease.

• Utilization of a variety of ex vivo and in vivo techniques including but not limited to brain and retinal dissection and standard biochemical techniques including protein: Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, quantification and visualization, mRNA profiling, genetic manipulation via siRNA or viral transduction.

• Executing experiments utilizing retinal imaging methodologies including: Optical Coherence Tomography, OCT Angiography, Retinal Fundus Photography/Autofluorescence Imaging, Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy.

• Independent analysis and interpretation of data

• Communication of findings at project teams and external conferences as well as through peer-reviewed publications

Education Minimum Requirement:

• PhD with less than 3 years of Postdoctoral Experience or achieved a PhD by Fall of 2022

Required Experience and Skills:

• Ability to conceive, design, execute and communicate complex experiments in the field of neuroscience as evidenced by publications

• Background in neuroscience, neurodegenerative disease, metabolic disease or related discipline

• Fluency in in vivo lab techniques including animal dosing, necropsies, protein, lipid, and/or mRNA extraction, measurement, & visualization.

• Must be an independent scientist with an ability to excel in a team environment

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Familiarity with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease rodent models

• Methodologies for assessing brain/retinal protein aggregation, misfolding, and/or lysosomal/mitochondrial dysfunction

• Experience with ophthalmic imaging OCT, FAF, SLO methodologies in rodents.

We are a research-driven biopharmaceutical company. Our mission is built on the simple premise that if we “follow the science” that great medicines can make a significant impact to our world. We believe that a research-driven enterprise dedicated to world-class science can succeed by inventing medicine and vaccine innovations that make a difference for patients across the globe.

MRLpostdoc

Who we are …

We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada and MSD everywhere else. For more than a century, we have been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, our company continues to be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

What we look for …

Imagine getting up in the morning for a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world. Here, you have that opportunity. You can put your empathy, creativity, digital mastery, or scientific genius to work in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues who pursue and bring hope to countless people who are battling some of the most challenging diseases of our time. Our team is constantly evolving, so if you are among the intellectually curious, join us—and start making your impact today.

NOTICE FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS

In accordance with Managers' Policy - Job Posting and Employee Placement, all employees subject to this policy are required to have a minimum of twelve (12) months of service in current position prior to applying for open positions.

If you have been offered a separation benefits package, but have not yet reached your separation date and are offered a position within the salary and geographical parameters as set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD) of your separation package, then you are no longer eligible for your separation benefits package. To discuss in more detail, please contact your HRBP or Talent Acquisition Advisor.

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Requisition ID:R154076