Scientist, Immunology

About the Company:

Dren Bio (the “Company”) is a privately held, pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases. The Company’s management team and scientific advisors have profound expertise covering the discovery and development of engineered antibodies designed to selectively target and deplete pathological cells. Dren Bio’s pipeline is currently comprised of two distinct programs. The first program surrounds DR-01, the Company’s lead product candidate, which induces antibody-mediated killing of a cell type that is responsible for a multitude of hematologic malignancies and plays a key role in various autoimmune diseases. The Company’s second program is a proprietary antibody-based technology platform, its Targeted Myeloid Engager, which utilizes a novel mechanism of action to selectively engage myeloid cells for the targeted depletion of diseased cells and disease-inducing agents, as well as to induce immunostimulation.

Function:

Immunology

Level:

Scientist

Location:

Redwood City, CA

Reporting Manager:

Senior Scientist I, Immunology

About the Opportunity:

Dren Bio is seeking a highly talented and motivated scientist to support our Targeted Myeloid Engager platform for the treatment of solid and hematological cancers. The ideal candidate is an expert in macrophage and/or dendritic cell biology with strong technical experience in probing how myeloid cells contribute to disease pathogenesis or could be restored to treat cancer and inflammatory disease. The candidate will work with a cross-functional team of scientists (immunologists, cell biologists, biochemists, and protein engineers) to advance research stage programs into early clinical development. The candidate will be expected to perform essential ex vivo and in vivo studies to not only assess efficacy of our novel therapeutic agents but to elucidate their impact on macrophage and dendritic cell functions in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, the successful candidate will be provided necessary training, support, and opportunities to grow into and lead a therapeutic program or project sub-teams, and mentor other researchers.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with other researchers to advance various therapeutic antibodies in different cancer types
• Design, conduct, and interpret high quality ex vivo studies (e.g. ADCC, ADCP, cytokine profiling, gene expression profiling) and in vivo studies (e.g. syngeneic, xenograft, and/or humanized mouse models of cancer) to evaluate efficacy and mechanism of action (MOA) of Dren Bio’s novel therapeutic agents
• Specific tasks include animal or human tissue processing, multi-color flow cytometry for immuno-phenotyping, cytokine profiling by MSD or Luminex, ADCC or ADCP assays using Incucyte live-cell imaging and flow cytometry, IHC/IF and confocal microscopy, DNA/RNA extraction for gene expression studies, various biochemical techniques (IP, western blot, IHC, and IF)
• Develop and execute assays to evaluate antigen presentation by macrophages and dendritic cells, and T cell activation
• Well-versed in various data processing and analysis software (e.g. FlowJo, Prism, ImageJ)
• Mentor and train other scientists on novel tools and techniques
• Become a project leader for a specific therapeutic program, while demonstrating flexibility and enthusiasm to support evolving company goals that are inherent of a fast-paced start-up environment
• Meticulous record-keeping of scientific data, methods, and study designs
• Present data in various forums, including lab meetings, department meetings, and multi-functional project teams
• Publish scientific and methodological results in high quality journals

Education, Experience and Qualification Requirements:

• PhD in Immunology, Cancer Biology, Biochemistry, or related discipline with approximately 0-3+ years of experience in academia or biopharmaceutical industry.
• Or Masters degree in a relevant field with 10+ years of experience in academia or industry

Core Competencies, Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• The candidate is expected to have in-depth training in immunology and rich technical expertise in cellular and molecular immunology
• Routine literature search and keeping up to date of the competitive landscape of immuno-oncology
• Strong expertise in animal or human tissue processing and downstream assays (i.e. immuno-phenotyping by multi-color flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, cell-based functional assays, biochemical assays)
• Hands-on experience in designing and executing in vivo studies (e.g. syngeneic, xenograft, PDX, humanized mouse models of immuno-oncology)
• Proficiency in IP, IV, SC and PO dosing, blood and tissue collection are highly desired
• Experience with primary cell isolation and culture
• Must have a record of successful scientific accomplishments as evidenced by one or more first-author papers published or accepted in a well-recognized and peer-reviewed journals
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to interpret complex data and highly motivated to learn and support the drug development efforts
• Motivated self-starter who can work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic team environment with a proactive attitude
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and the flexibility to align daily work with project needs
• Ability to set goals and prioritize tasks and resources to achieve superior work quality and efficiency
• Must be well organized, have a strong work ethic, attention to detail and be diligent in data documentation

Salaries, Benefits and Other Employee Perks:

Dren Bio strongly believes in investing in, and rewarding, its employees. This philosophy is embodied in the Company’s total rewards program, which includes competitive cash compensation, equity incentive awards, and employer sponsored benefit offerings. Exact cash and equity compensation shall be commensurate with candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Employment Practices:

Dren Bio is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs. Dren Bio will not discriminate against any job applicant because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, gender identity, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.