Viral Gene Delivery Scientist for CNS & Preclinical

Merge; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs is advancing brain-computer interface research and delivery technologies to bridge biology with AI. The Delivery team engineers viral gene delivery approaches to enable expression of molecular biosensors and actuators of neural activity in preclinical models.

You will collaborate with protein engineers, cell and molecular biologists, ML engineers, and neuroscientists to translate lab findings into safe, scalable delivery strategies.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience leading research projects end-to-end in bioengineering, neuroscience, virology, cell biology or related field.
• Hands-on experience designing and testing AAV or other viral vectors in vivo to target CNS.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing or optimizing gene delivery modalities.
• Experience designing and executing in vivo studies and interpreting delivery results.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and test AAV and other viral vectors for gene delivery to the CNS across serotype selection, cargo, and regulatory elements.
• Design, run, and interpret in vivo studies in rodents and large animal models when appropriate.
• Evaluate and benchmark routes of administration for brain delivery, including focused ultrasound BBB opening.
• Build or adapt assays to quantify delivery, expression, cell-type specificity, and tolerability in brain tissue.
• Evaluate emerging delivery technologies and help shape longer-term delivery strategy.

Skills

AAV vectors design

In vivo studies

Brain delivery methods

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Data interpretation

Education

PhD in bioengineering/ neuroscience/ virology/ cell biology

Tools

In vivo imaging systems

AAV production equipment

Focused ultrasound equipment

Job description

Merge Labs is advancing brain-computer interface research and delivery technologies to bridge biology with AI. The Delivery team engineers viral gene delivery approaches to enable expression of molecular biosensors and actuators of neural activity in preclinical models.

You will collaborate with protein engineers, cell and molecular biologists, ML engineers, and neuroscientists to translate lab findings into safe, scalable delivery strategies.