Research Scientist, Early-Stage Biotech Startup

Job Description

Job Description

Research Scientist, Early-Stage Biotech Startup

San Diego, CA 92128 | Full-Time or Part-Time | Primarily On-Site

We are a small NIH-funded biotech startup in San Diego working on precision medicine, molecular diagnostics, proteomics, and translational research.

We are currently a core team of just 2 to 3 people. We work closely together, usually in the same office, and are looking for another scientist who would enjoy being part of a company at this very early stage.

This is not a large biotech environment with narrowly defined roles. We talk about science together, look at data together, explore new ideas, work with academic and clinical collaborators, and figure out what to do next as a team.

Our existing research includes uveal melanoma (UM), retinoblastoma (RB), diabetic macular edema (DME), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We work with real clinical samples and patient data, using proteomics, molecular biomarkers, bioinformatics, imaging, and AI to develop new diagnostic approaches.

We are also increasingly interested in a broader area: how the eye changes with age, what those changes can tell us about biological aging, and whether we can eventually find ways to preserve or restore healthy function.

Some of the questions we are beginning to explore include ocular aging biomarkers, biological age clocks, eye longevity, regenerative biology, and rejuvenation. We expect these ideas to evolve, and we hope the person joining us will help shape where they go.

What You Might Work On

The role is intentionally broad and will depend partly on your background and interests.

You may work on:

• Olink proteomics and biomarker discovery
• Clinical, molecular, and longitudinal patient datasets
• Biomarker discovery and validation
• Uveal melanoma, retinoblastoma, DME, and AMD research
• Molecular diagnostics and liquid biopsy
• Bioinformatics and statistical analysis
• Multiomics and AI-assisted biological research
• Biological aging and ocular age clocks
• New ideas in eye longevity, regeneration, and rejuvenation
• Scientific literature reviews and exploration of emerging technologies
• Experimental design and interpretation of results
• Manuscripts, presentations, and grant-related scientific work
• Research collaborations with universities, hospitals, physicians, and other scientists

Just as importantly, we would like this person to help us ask new questions.

If we come across an interesting paper, technology, dataset, or biological idea, we may spend time together asking whether there is something important there and whether we can turn it into a real research project.

Who We Are Looking For

We are open-minded about the exact background.

You might be a recent PhD graduate, a postdoc considering a move into biotech, an experienced research scientist, or someone looking for an interesting part-time scientific role.

Relevant backgrounds could include:

• Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Biology
• Aging Biology
• Proteomics
• Systems Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Data Science
• Translational Medicine

Experience with Olink, proteomics, biomarker research, molecular diagnostics, Python, R, bioinformatics, statistics, or multiomics would be particularly useful.

A PhD is preferred, but we care more about how you think than about checking every box on a résumé.

We are looking for someone who is curious, thoughtful, hands-on, and comfortable learning things outside their original field.

You should enjoy figuring things out rather than waiting for someone to give you a detailed set of instructions.

What It Is Like to Work With Us

We want to be very clear about the kind of company this is.

There are currently only a few of us.

You will work directly with the founders and other scientists. We sit together, discuss problems openly, and make decisions quickly.

One day you might be analyzing a proteomics dataset. Another day we might be discussing a clinical study, reading a new paper on aging, talking with a university collaborator, or exploring whether a new scientific idea is worth pursuing.

There will be things we have not figured out yet.

For someone who prefers a large organization with established systems and clearly separated responsibilities, this probably will not be the right environment.

For someone who enjoys science, independence, learning, and the experience of building something from an early stage, we think it can be a very interesting place to work.

Location and Schedule

Our office is in San Diego, CA 92128 (Rancho Bernardo).

Because our team is so small, being together in person matters to us. This is primarily an on-site position, and we are looking for someone who can spend most of their working time with the team in the office.

Candidates should already live within reasonable commuting distance of Rancho Bernardo or be genuinely willing to relocate to the San Diego area.

This is not intended to be a remote position.

We are open to both:

• Full-time
• Part-time, approximately 15 to 30 hours per week

For the right person, we are flexible about how the role begins and how it develops over time.

To Apply

Please send us:

• Your CV
• A short introduction about yourself and your scientific interests
• Your current location
• Whether you are interested in full-time or part-time work
• A few sentences about a scientific question, paper, technology, or research direction that you find particularly interesting right now

You do not need to match everything listed above.

We would rather meet someone who is smart, curious, kind, and genuinely excited about science than someone whose résumé happens to contain every keyword.

If you like the idea of working closely with a very small team and helping build new science from the ground up, we would be happy to hear from you.