Staff Scientist

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 72,950 - 111,610; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement plan with matching funds

Job summary

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to investigate immune mechanisms driving type 1 diabetes and autoimmune diseases. Lead multi-modal immune studies with clinical samples, collaborating with BRI bioinformaticians and external partners.

The role offers an Instructor-equivalent academic track, mentoring, and grant-writing exposure, with strong publication expectations and opportunities to advance an independent research career.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology or a related biomedical science.
• Minimum of five years of postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience in tissue culture and cellular and molecular biology techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design and execute complex research projects through to publication.
• Strong publication record and evidence of scientific creativity, collaboration, and independent thinking.

Responsibilities

• Design, lead, and implement multiple complex research projects focused on autoreactive B and T cell biology, immune tolerance, and autoimmune disease.
• Design and perform experiments to identify autoreactive B and T cells for downstream transcriptional, single-cell, and multi-modal analyses.
• Analyze, interpret, and document experimental data while maintaining rigorous scientific standards.
• Use AI and collaborate closely with the BRI Bioinformatics team to integrate computational and systems immunology approaches into experimental design and data analysis.
• Work collaboratively with investigators across BRI, the University of Washington, TrialNet, and other national and international collaborators.
• Prepare manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations for publication and scientific meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation of research grants, fellowship applications, and collaborative funding proposals.
• Serve as a scientific leader within the Lab by mentoring research technicians, postdoctoral fellows, students, interns, and volunteers.
• Help establish and optimize new Lab methods and workflows and oversee specialized instrumentation as appropriate.
• Stay current with advances in immunology, autoimmune disease, and emerging technologies while identifying new scientific opportunities.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive learning environment that prioritizes integrity and respect, innovation and agility, and constant scientific inquiry.

Skills

Tissue culture

Cell biology

Molecular biology

Independent research design

Education

Ph.D. in Immunology

Tools

Flow cytometry

Spectral cytometry

Single-cell technologies

Systems immunology

Job description

Overview

The Long Lab within the Center for Translational Immunology at Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) is seeking a creative and highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to investigate the immune mechanisms that drive type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases. The Lab combines advanced human immunology, single-cell and multi-modal technologies, and systems immunology approaches to better understand disease progression, patient variability, and response to therapy. Similar approaches are used in the Khor lab that studies Down’s Syndrome and immune aging, presenting a unique opportunity to gain exposure to projects that span immune mediated diseases.

This collaborative position provides a unique opportunity to study immune regulation and autoreactive T cell during the earliest stages of T1D using cross-sectional, longitudinal and clinical trial samples. The successful candidate will lead independent cellular and molecular research and will work closely with BRI bioinformaticians and collaborators. This position is equivalent to an Instructor appointment in an academic setting and is ideal for scientists who have completed postdoctoral training and are interested in pursuing an advanced research career outside of the traditional faculty track.

Responsibilities

• Design, lead, and implement multiple complex research projects focused on autoreactive B and T cell biology, immune tolerance, and autoimmune disease.
• Design and perform experiments to identify autoreactive B and T cells for downstream transcriptional, single-cell, and multi-modal analyses.
• Analyze, interpret, and document experimental data while maintaining rigorous scientific standards.
• Use AI and collaborate closely with the BRI Bioinformatics team to integrate computational and systems immunology approaches into experimental design and data analysis.
• Work collaboratively with investigators across BRI, the University of Washington, TrialNet, and other national and international collaborators.
• Prepare manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations for publication and scientific meetings.
• Contribute to the preparation of research grants, fellowship applications, and collaborative funding proposals.
• Serve as a scientific leader within the Lab by mentoring research technicians, postdoctoral fellows, students, interns, and volunteers.
• Help establish and optimize new Lab methods and workflows and oversee specialized instrumentation as appropriate.
• Stay current with advances in immunology, autoimmune disease, and emerging technologies while identifying new scientific opportunities.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive learning environment that prioritizes integrity and respect, innovation and agility, and constant scientific inquiry.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology or a related biomedical science.
• Minimum of five years of postdoctoral research experience.
• Experience in tissue culture and cellular and molecular biology techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design and execute complex research projects through to publication.
• Strong publication record and evidence of scientific creativity, collaboration, and independent thinking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting scientific findings.

Preferred

• Experience in human immunology, autoimmune disease, or type 1 diabetes research.
• Experience with flow or spectral cytometry, single-cell technologies, systems immunology, and analysis of large-scale datasets.
• Experience working with human clinical samples and translational research studies.
• Familiarity with computational analysis tools and collaboration with bioinformatics teams.
• Prior experience mentoring trainees and contributing to grant development.

Compensation

The range is $72,950 to $111,610 annually

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts: health care, dependent care, commuter
• Short and long-term disability
• Life and AD&D insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with matching funds after one year of employment
• 13 holidays, 3 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks of sick leave per year
• Employee assistance program
• Educational assistance program
• Subsidized ORCA pass
• Wellness benefits
• Voluntary benefits

About Us

Benaroya Research Institute (BRI)has a bold mission: to advance the science to predict, prevent, reverse and cureimmune system diseases, fromautoimmune diseasetocancertoasthmaandallergies. We create detailed pictures of the immune system in health and disease, aiming to understand how disorders start and how to rebalance the immune system back to health. Equipped with innovative tools and robustbiorepositories, our team chips away at the biggest mysteries behind these conditions to work toward our vision of a healthy immune system for everyone.BRI is a nonprofit research institute based in Seattle and affiliated with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.We collaborate with clinicians and patients to accelerate the path from innovative lab discoveries to life-changing patient care.

At BRI, each individual is valued as an important contributor to our vision and mission. Consider making a difference by joining our team. Because together, we arepowering possibility.To learn more, visitbenaroyaresearch.organd connect with us onLinkedIn,Bluesky,Instagram,Threads,FacebookandYouTube.Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.

If you need an accommodation or assistance completing the online application, please contact Human Resources at 206-342-6547 or [e-mail] contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.