Scientist I – Complex In Vitro Models

About the position

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist to join the Gastroenterology Immunology Discovery team. Together with a Senior Scientist, this position will drive the development and deployment of complex in vitro models to support AbbVie’s drug discovery efforts. This is a hands-on and lab-based role requiring significant cell biology expertise. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with primary cell cultures and in vitro cell-based assays in the context of autoimmune disease.

Responsibilities

  • Routine culture and maintenance of immortalized and primary cell cultures, both in standard formats as well as organoids or organ-on-chip formats.
  • Isolation of primary human cells from various sources including tissue and whole blood.
  • Work with a Senior Scientist to develop complex in vitro models that mimic the pathophysiology of immune mediated diseases with a focus on IBD
  • Design, perform, and interpret in vitro experiments to support drug discovery and development activities. This may include mechanism of action experiments to advance target identification and validation efforts in immunology and IBD.
  • Conduct experiments with a high level of independence and initiative and performing tasks with minimal direct supervision for routine methods.
  • Independently schedule and prioritize workload to manage several tasks simultaneously
  • Maintain detailed electronic documentation to ensure adherence to departmental procedures and contribute to final reports as needed.
  • Interact with other scientists within a matrixed environment including to identify / utilize resources outside of your own group and presenting findings to audiences with diverse backgrounds (e.g., immunologists, cell biologists, pathologists, bioengineers).

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree with typically 5 years of experience, or Master’s Degree with typically two years of experience.
  • Experience working with human tissue samples and with isolating and characterizing cells such as epithelial, fibroblast, endothelial, and/or immunological (B cells, T cells, monocytes).
  • Extensive experience with primary cell cultures and in vitro cell based assays.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in cell and molecular biological assays such as qPCR analysis, multicolor flow cytometry, FACS, ELISA/Luminex/MSD, cell proliferation/viability assays, cytotoxicity assays
  • Strong written and oral communication skills are important.
  • Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a highly matrixed organization.

Nice-to-haves

  • Experience in 3D tissue modeling (i.e. spheroids, organoids, commercially available organ-on-a-chip platforms, microfluidics) is a plus.

Benefits

  • paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick)
  • medical/dental/vision insurance
  • 401(k)
  • short-term incentive programs
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