Senior Scientist I, In Vitro Electrophysiologist

We are seeking a highly motivated in vitro electrophysiologist to join our collaborative Migraine and Pain drug discovery team.  The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in ion channel biology and patch-clamp electrophysiology to support functional, pharmacological, and mechanistic studies that advance novel therapeutics.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Design and execute manual patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments to characterize ion channel pharmacology, biophysical properties, and cellular excitability in relevant cell and disease models including primary, hiPSC-derived, and recombinant cell lines.
• Lead design, execution, and analysis of studies on automated patch-clamp platforms (e.g. SyncroPatch).  This will include both operation and training/guidance of more junior scientists on the instrument.
• Contribute to studies utilizing multi-electrode (MEA) recordings and complimentary fluorescence-based assays (e.g. calcium imaging, membrane potential assays) as needed.
• Support target identification, validation, and compound profiling to advance our Neuroscience pipeline, with a focus on pain-relevant ion channel families including both voltage-and ligand-gated channels.
• Apply broad cell and molecular biology skills to support mechanistic studies and complement electrophysiology-based work (e.g., cell culture, Western blot, Microscopy, transient transfection, RNAi approaches, etc).
• Read and adapt scientific literature to stay current in the field and advance techniques and innovative approaches
• Independently generate precise, reliable, and reproducible data in a timely manner; interpret and effectively communicate results to cross-functional project teams and diverse audiences.
• Contribute to scientific publications and present findings at internal and external scientific meetings and conferences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 10 years of experience, Master’s Degree and  8 years of experience, PhD and no experience necessary in Neuroscience, Biology, or related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency in manual patch-clamp electrophysiology across multiple recording configurations (e.g. whole-cell, cell-attached, perforated-patch, single-channel) and ion channel pharmacology.
• Proficiency with electrophysiology data acquisition and analysis software (e.g., Axon, HEKA, or equivalent).
• Strong quantitative skills in biophysical analysis: concentration-response curves, channel gating kinetics, and state-dependent pharmacology.
• Experience working with heterologous expression systems (e.g. HEK293 or CHO) and/or primary neurons, DRG neurons, or hiPSC-derived neuronal/sensory neuron preparations.
• Experience with automated patch-clamp platforms (e.g., SyncroPatch or Qube) is highly valued.
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced scientific environment towards a common goal of advancing novel therapeutics to impact patients.
• Additional beneficial qualifications include a background in Neuroscience or pain/migraine and/or experience with ex vivo slice electrophysiology, multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings, or single channel recordings.

Key Competencies:

• Communicates scientific findings clearly and effectively, both in writing and verbally
• Independent, flexible thinker with capacity to develop novel methodologies and apply emerging technologies to address key gaps.
• Strategic thinking that connects experimental approaches with broader program objectives.
• Applies quantitative and analytical thinking to complex biological problems.
• Builds strong relationships with peers and actively contributes to a positive, inclusive, and collaborative working environment.