Ocular RNA Preclinical Pharmacology Lead

Eli Lilly and Company; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 141,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Pension

Vacation benefits

Health, dental, vision & prescription

Flexible benefits

Life insurance

Time off & leave of absence benefits

Well-being benefits

Job summary

Lilly’s Genetic Medicine team in Boston is leading the creation of an ocular/sensory in vivo pharmacology capability to advance retinal and other sensory disease programs. The role requires strong expertise in ocular pharmacology, especially retina, and experience translating genetic medicines in the eye.

You will build models, endpoints, and workflows across chemistry, delivery, translational biology, toxicology, and clinical development.

Responsibilities

• Establish the ocular/sensory in vivo pharmacology capability from the ground up.
• Represent ocular RNA therapeutics on cross functional project teams to drive programs from target validation through candidate selection and IND-enabling studies.
• Design, plan, and implement in vivo ocular pharmacology studies in rodents, and design and oversee large-animal studies with external partners, to define PK/PD, ocular biodistribution, duration of action, and tolerability of siRNA and ASO molecules.
• Perform and optimize ocular dosing routes, including intravitreal and topical/periocular administration, and partner with chemistry and delivery teams to inform route, formulation, and dose selection.
• Lead ocular sample collection and dissection, including aqueous and vitreous humor sampling and isolation of retina, RPE/choroid, optic nerve, and other ocular tissues for molecular, bioanalytical, and histological endpoints.
• Implement and interpret in-life ocular endpoints, including ophthalmic examination, intraocular pressure, OCT, fundus imaging, and ERG.
• Expertise in ocular tissue processing for target engagement and distribution endpoints (e.g., RT-qPCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, oligonucleotide quantification, novel assay development).
• Establish and validate disease-relevant retinal models to demonstrate pharmacodynamic and functional efficacy.
• Shape translational strategy for ocular programs, including cross-species dose scaling, PK/PD inputs, and biomarker approaches, in conjunction with DMPK, toxicology, and clinical teams.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage CROs and academic collaborators with specialized ocular and sensory capabilities.
• Assist in troubleshooting technical challenges for team members.
• Adherence to rigorous scientific standards, data QC, and data analysis methods.
• Provide written and verbal communication of work in lab reports and team meetings.

Education

PhD in pharmacology, ophthalmology, neuroscience, biology, biochemistry, or related field

Job description

Lilly’s Genetic Medicine team in Boston is leading the creation of an ocular/sensory in vivo pharmacology capability to advance retinal and other sensory disease programs. The role requires strong expertise in ocular pharmacology, especially retina, and experience translating genetic medicines in the eye.

You will build models, endpoints, and workflows across chemistry, delivery, translational biology, toxicology, and clinical development.