Senior Scientist III, Pharmacology

Pharmacyclics is committed to the development and commercialization of novel therapies intended to improve the quality and duration of life and to resolve serious unmet medical needs for cancer patients. Pharmacyclics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV), a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company. Oncology is a key therapeutic area for AbbVie, with a portfolio consisting of three marketed products and a pipeline containing multiple promising new molecules that are being studied in more than 200 clinical trials for over 20 different types of cancer.

More than 1,200 Pharmacyclics and AbbVie research scientists, clinicians, marketing, operations and corporate professionals work in the San Francisco Bay Area. They combine their expertise in immuno-oncology, stem cells, and cell-signaling with their knowledge of bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and covalent-inhibitor technologies to discover and develop novel cancer treatments. Together, we are striving to outsmart cancer.

To learn more about us, please visit us at http://www.pharmacyclics.com/

The Preclinical Pharmacology Department is searching for a highly motivated Senior Scientist III who will work collaboratively across DMPK/Pharmacology, project-based teams, biology and medicinal chemistry teams to formulate pharmacology strategy for various oncology programs and develop in vivo screening for target discovery and validation.

General Position Summary/Purpose:

Provide preclinical Pharmacology support to Pharmacyclics drug discovery and development projects in hematological malignancy and immune-oncology. Conceive and implement novel experimental approaches to in vivo target discovery and validation, efficacy/PK/PD/mechanism-of-action investigation, disease mechanisms, resistance biology, and tumor microenvironment interaction in support of drug discovery and development. Investigate, develop, validate or optimize existing and new methods/models to solve project related scientific problems. Work closely with scientists in biology, medicinal chemistry, DMPK, translational medicine, and report into Director, Preclinical Pharmacology. Generate efficacy and PD data to support preclinical development of drug candidates and regulatory submissions. Develop productive collaborations and communications with other groups across scientific disciplines.

Key Accountabilities/Core Job Responsibilities:

• Play a key role in the design and execution of in vivo CRISPR screening for oncology target discovery.
• Design and conduct tumor efficacy and PD studies.
• Understand and adhere to IACUC protocols regarding animal welfare and handling.
• Cell culture and banking to support efficacy studies.
• Conduct ex vivo assays such as multi-color FACS, MSD, WES and Luminex to understand MOA of in vivo studies
• Contribute Pharmacology knowledge and strategy within project team structure and present/report analyses of in vivo studies.
• Improve existing Pharmacology workflows, data visualization tools, and work across discovery teams to integrate efficient workflows for cross-functional analyses and endpoints.
• Thinking critically and innovatively
• Commitment to scientific rigor, high data quality and careful documentation.
• Self-motivated, possess strong problem solving and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, adapt to changing priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Flexibility and motivation to learn techniques and accomplish goals outside those stated above

Qualifications:

• PhD in cancer genetics, cell biology or pharmacology with 5-10 years of relevant research experience, preferably in a Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology industry setting, and a solid publication record
• A strong background in genetics, molecular biology, immunology or signaling.
• Demonstrated aptitude for innovation using novel/emerging technologies.
• Experience in high-throughput screening such as pharmacological screening or CRISPR screening.
• Experience in gene engineering, imaging, functional genomics, and bioinformatics to discover novel approaches to targeting oncogenic drivers is highly desirable.
• Experience in tumor models, such as genetically engineered mouse models, orthotopic tumor models, cell line-derived and patient-derived models.
• Technical experience in molecular biology, cell biology or immunology is desired
• Ability to use effective informatics tools for data visualization would be an asset.
• Experience in designing and interpreting IND-enabling in vivo PK/PD/efficacy studies is desired

Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled