Postdoctoral Fellow – Vaccine Epitope Mapping & MoA

MSD; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision healthcare

Other insurance benefits (for employee

family)

Retirement benefits

401(k)

Paid holidays

Vacation

Compassionate

Sick days

Job summary

MSD invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in West Point, PA to lead an independent project on MHC II-restricted epitopes and polysaccharide antigen processing. The role sits within Large Molecule Analytical in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Analysis & Digital Technologies, with opportunities for cross-functional work and publications.

The candidate will design experiments, map epitopes, and advance understanding of vaccine MoA, including mass spectrometry and biophysical

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant discipline is required or will be earned by spring 2027.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and immunological assays is required.
• Strong communication and publication record preferred.

Responsibilities

• Independent end-to-end experimental design and execution to study MoA and vaccine efficacy.
• Design, planning, and preparation of MHC II-peptide/glycopeptide complexes from human APCs.
• Purification of MHC II complexes via immunoprecipitation.
• Identify peptide and PS epitopes from human APCs.
• Assess human T-cell activation using synthesized immunodominant peptides or PS-conjugated peptides.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to design experiments and interpret data.
• Present results through talks and peer-reviewed publications.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Immunological assays

Flow Cytometry

Mass Spectrometry

Epitope mapping

Research project design

Scientific communication

Immunoprecipitation

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)

Independent & collaborative work

Mentoring junior scientists

Biophysical characterization

Education

PhD in Immunology, Virology, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Science or related

PhD expected by Spring 2027

Must currently hold a Ph.D.

Tools

Immunoprecipitation

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)

Mass Spectrometry instrumentation

Job description

MSD invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in West Point, PA to lead an independent project on MHC II-restricted epitopes and polysaccharide antigen processing. The role sits within Large Molecule Analytical in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Analysis & Digital Technologies, with opportunities for cross-functional work and publications.

The candidate will design experiments, map epitopes, and advance understanding of vaccine MoA, including mass spectrometry and biophysical