Senior Scientist, Neuroimmunology, Biology-Discovery
Merck
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Job summary
Merck seeks a laboratory-based scientist to join the Neuroimmunology team in Massachusetts, Boston. The role focuses on hands‑on experimental work across preclinical models and translational biology to uncover microglial mechanisms and advance CNS therapies.
You will design and execute in vitro and in vivo studies, analyze complex data, and contribute to program strategy while collaborating with pharmacology, immunology, chemistry, and biomarker scientists.
Qualifications
- PhD in Neuroscience, Immunology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, Bioengineering, Neurology, or a related STEM field; postdoctoral industry experience highly preferred.
- Master's degree in Neuroscience, Immunology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, Bioengineering, Neurology, or a related STEM field with a minimum 8+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience.
- Extensive hands‑on experience with rodent in vivo studies.
- Experience with mouse models of neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, or CNS disease.
- Expertise in flow cytometry, CNS immune cell isolation, immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology techniques.
- Proficiency with omics approaches (RNA‑seq, single‑cell technologies) and data analysis.
- Strong experimental design, statistical analysis, and problem‑solving skills.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills in a cross‑functional research environment.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a hands‑on scientist conducting in vitro and in vivo procedures and downstream analyses.
- Play a key role in supporting pipeline programs by designing and executing studies, interpreting complex datasets, and communicating findings to cross‑functional teams.
- Generate and interpret pharmacology, efficacy, biomarker, and mechanistic datasets to support target validation and drug discovery programs.
- Perform CNS immune cell isolation, flow cytometry, immunophenotyping, molecular profiling, and histological analyses.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across pharmacology, immunology, chemistry, biologics, biomarker sciences, and data science.
- The individual is expected to provide strong scientific leadership, contribute to program strategy, and influence decision‑making through data‑driven recommendations.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
We are seeking a highly motivated, laboratory-based scientist to join the Neuroimmunology team at our Company. This role is ideal for a hands‑on experimentalist with expertise in preclinical models, neuroimmunology, neurodegeneration, and translational biology. The successful candidate will independently design and execute in vitro and in vivo studies, generate mechanistic insights into microglial biology, and contribute to the discovery of novel therapies for CNS diseases.
We are seeking a highly motivated, laboratory-based scientist to join the Neuroimmunology team at our Company. This role is ideal for a hands‑on experimentalist with expertise in preclinical models, neuroimmunology, neurodegeneration, and translational biology. The successful candidate will independently design and execute in vitro and in vivo studies, generate mechanistic insights into microglial biology, and contribute to the discovery of novel therapies for CNS diseases.
- Serve as a hands‑on scientist conducting in vitro and in vivo procedures and downstream analyses.
- Play a key role in supporting pipeline programs by designing and executing studies, interpreting complex datasets, and communicating findings to cross‑functional teams.
- Generate and interpret pharmacology, efficacy, biomarker, and mechanistic datasets to support target validation and drug discovery programs.
- Perform CNS immune cell isolation, flow cytometry, immunophenotyping, molecular profiling, and histological analyses.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across pharmacology, immunology, chemistry, biologics, biomarker sciences, and data science.
- The individual is expected to provide strong scientific leadership, contribute to program strategy, and influence decision‑making through data‑driven recommendations.
- PhD in Neuroscience, Immunology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, Bioengineering, Neurology, or a related STEM field; postdoctoral industry experience highly preferred.
- Master's degree in Neuroscience, Immunology, Cell Biology, Pharmacology, Bioengineering, Neurology, or a related STEM field with a minimum 8+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience.
- Extensive hands‑on experience with rodent in vivo studies.
- Experience with mouse models of neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, or CNS disease.
- Expertise in flow cytometry, CNS immune cell isolation, immunohistochemistry, and molecular biology techniques.
- Proficiency with omics approaches (RNA‑seq, single‑cell technologies) and data analysis.
- Strong experimental design, statistical analysis, and problem‑solving skills.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills in a cross‑functional research environment.
- Industry experience supporting discovery or early development programs in CNS disorders.
- Experience with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis, or related neurodegenerative diseases.
- Hands‑on experience with transgenic rodent models, including behavioral, pharmacology, and biomarker studies.
- Experience with primary microglia cultures, macrophages, immune cell assays, or iPSC‑derived CNS cell systems.
- Familiarity with translational biomarkers, PK/PD relationships, and mechanism‑based drug development.
- Experience working within multidisciplinary drug discovery teams and advancing programs from target validation through candidate selection.
- Prior experience leading collaborative projects, in particular, the ability to coordinate activities across multiple functions will be an important consideration.
- Assay Development
- Cell Culture Techniques
- Immunoassays
- Immunology
- In Vivo Models
- Neurodegeneration
- Neuroimmunology
- Omics
- Pharmacodynamics
- Pharmacology
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.
As An Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, We Provide Equal Opportunities To All Employees And Applicants For Employment And Prohibit Discrimination On The Basis Of Race, Color, Age, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Protected Veteran Status, Disability Status, Or Other Applicable Legally Protected Characteristics. As a Federal Contractor, We Comply With All Affiliated Action Requirements For Protected Veterans And Individuals With Disabilities. For More Information About Personal Rights Under The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Laws, Visit:
EEOC Know Your Rights
EEOC GINA Supplement
We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
USA - Massachusetts - Boston (MA Parcel B Laboratory)
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below. The salary range for the primary location of this role is: $119,100.00 - $187,500.00.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.
Regular
Domestic/International
Yes
No Travel Required
Not Applicable
Not Indicated
No
OEB4, BSL2, Standard lab reagents
11/6/2026
- A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
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