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 Buterin's 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.