Scientist I - Brain Health

Scientist I – Brain Health Accelerator

The mission of the Allen Institute is to understand the principles that govern life and to advance health. Our creative and multi-dimensional teams focus on answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience. We accelerate foundational research, catalyze bold ideas, develop tools and models, and openly share our science to make a broad, transformational impact on the world.

The Allen Institute is launching a new initiative on human brain health and disease. This initiative aims to dramatically accelerate our understanding of human brain structure and function, identify the molecular, cellular and circuit basis of disease progression, and pioneer new therapeutic strategies targeting vulnerable and affected cell types. Our mission focuses on taking a human-centric approach to understanding and treating disease, combining a large-scale open science discovery approach across multiple diseases, AI-based disease modeling, and translational programs in specific diseases to move from discovery to clinical application. We aim to make transformational change in understanding and treating brain disorders, the biggest health challenge of our time.

We seek an outstanding Scientist I to join the Brain Health Accelerator team to conduct investigational studies of the impact of novel interventions on the molecular, cellular and behavioral progression of Huntington’s Disease mouse models. The candidate will have an exceptionally strong background in characterizing phenotypes in mouse models of neurological or neurodegenerative disease, including molecular, transcriptional and behavioral assessments. The specific intervention being tested in this project involves modulating the levels of specific chromatin regulatory proteins to establish to what extent these interventions ameliorate Huntington’s Disease relevant phenotypes in live mice and tissues derived from them. Thus, the candidate will also have an exceptional background in the molecular and bioinformatic tools required to assess transcriptional changes coupled with experience with tools required to asses chromatin state changes such as genome-wide assessments of histone modifications, and chromatin conformational analyses. The candidate will work independently as part of a small team executing the project. This will require the candidate to be capable of managing independent work, as well as being a great communicator in both written and spoken communications with the team.

At the Allen Institute, we believe that science is for everyone – and should be open to everyone. We are dedicated to combating biases and reducing barriers to STEM careers more broadly.

We also believe that science is better when it includes different perspectives and voices. We strive to make the Allen Institute a place where everyone feels like they belong and are empowered to do their best work in a supportive environment.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Essential Functions

• Help maintain and monitor a colony of Huntington’s Disease model mice as part of a small team
• Treat Huntington’s Disease model mice with experimental AAV treatments via different routes of administration (e.g. retro-orbital and intraperitoneal injections)
• Monitor the health of mice and perform euthanasia and collect tissues from subject mice, including micro-dissected brain regions
• Generate omic- scale data from DNA and RNA isolated from tissues
• Conduct an integrative analysis of transcriptional and epigenetic assessments to determine the impact of experimental treatments on these endpoints
• Maintain precise experimental notes and records, generate presentations to communicate results both internally and externally
• Draft figures and text for manuscripts describing research results
• Travel to conferences and meetings with collaborators and funding agencies to present results

*Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.*

Required Education and Experience

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Genetics, or related field; or equivalent combination of degree and experience
• Demonstrated experience with mouse models of neurological or neurodegenerative disease
• Demonstrated experience with assessments of transcriptional changes in mouse or cellular models of disease
• Demonstrated experience with assessments of epigenetic states in mouse or cellular models of disease (e.g. using chromatin mapping tools such as ChIPSeq, CUT&RUN, CUT&TAG)
• Proficiency in relevant programming languages and software tools including R (or Python), cloud computing and executing jobs on high-performance computing clusters

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience generating, analyzing and integrating multiple -omic scale datasets
• Experience with microscopic analyses of tissues, especially mouse brain tissues
• Experience in chromosome conformational tools (e.g. HiC and related methods)
• Strong publication record
• General experience with moue models including establishing bereding’s, colony maintenance, animal health monitoring and genotyping
• Positive, can-do, attitude that remains resilient in response to changing demands of the project

Work Environment

• Exposure to and handling of laboratory animals required
• Laboratory environment - possible chemical, biological, or other hazardous substances exposure
• Possible exposure to BioSafety Level 2 organisms, such as recombinant viruses
• This may include wearing personnel protective equipment (PPE)
• Working with dry ice or liquid nitrogen
• Sample handling of the following material, including but not limited to: human whole blood, PBMC, Plasma, nucleic acids, and cells

Animal Care Services

• Exposure to and handling of laboratory animals required
• Pre- and post-operative care for mice
• Administration of compounds to mice (iv, ip, sc, po, im, ro, icv)
• Perform health assessments of mice
• Perform euthanasia and tissue collections

Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting to 15 pounds
• Fine motor movements in fingers/hands to operate computers and other office equipment; repetitive motion with lab equipment
• Push/pull up to 15 lbs
• Stooping, bending, crouching
• Reaching or climbing ladders

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Occasional evening and weekend hours required
• This role is currently able to work both remotely and onsite in a hybrid work environment. We are a Washington State employer, and the primary work location for all Allen Institute employees is 615 Westlake Ave N.; any remote work must be performed in Washington State.

Travel

• Occasional travel to other sites to maintain our collaborative network, and to attend face to face meetings with our funding agencies
• Attendance and participation in national and international conferences required

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• All employees who work with live animals must complete an Occupational Health medical history form and/or consultation with an Occupational Health Provider and receive clearance to work with animals. Depending on your health history and job responsibilities, an annual respiratory health screening and clearance to use a respirator may also be required

Additional Comments

• **Please note, this opportunity does not offerrelocation assistance**
• **Please note, this opportunity does not offer work visa sponsorship**

Annualized Salary Range

$86,150 - $106,650*

* Final salary depends on the required education for the role, experience, level of skills relevant to the role, and work location, where applicable.

Benefits

• Employees (and their families) are eligible to enroll in benefits per eligibility rules outlined in the Allen Institute’s Benefits Guide. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are also eligible to enroll in the Allen Institute’s 401k plan. Paid time off is also available as outlined in the Allen Institutes Benefits Guide. Details on the Allen Institute’s benefits offering are located at the following link to the Benefits Guide: https://alleninstitute.org/careers/benefits.

It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.