Senior Research Associate

Level: Research Associate or Senior Research Associate Reports to: Associate Director of Process Development / R&D Leadership About CytoHub CytoHub is a San Diego biotech building AI-enabled human tissue platforms for drug discovery, diagnostics, safety testing, and translational research. Its Discovery & Diagnostics Division develops iPSC-derived models, including CardioVive™, a human mini-heart system for cardiac pharmacology, cardiotoxicity, and cardiovascular disease modeling. CytoHub is also advancing the platform for application to other systems, including brain, liver, and kidney, etc. BioEngineAI™, an AI-native platform built on a proprietary cardiac biology dataset, powers our AI/data layer for predictive analysis, development of digital twins, and manufacturing automation. HeartReady™, a regenerative cellular therapy for ischemic heart failure, is being developed in parallel under Cardia Therapeutics. We're hiring an RA or SRA in the Discovery & Diagnostics Division to help develop, produce, characterize, and scale human iPSC-derived tissue platforms — starting with CardioVive™, our pharma-facing cardiac model, and extending to emerging models. This role will generate iPSC-derived organoids and 3D tissue models, run functional, imaging, molecular, and cell-based assays, and feed structured datasets into BioEngineAI™. Work may also support cell-therapy programs in the Cardia Therapeutics division as needed. At the SRA level, the successful candidate will independently lead workstreams, optimize protocols, support assay qualification, mentor junior staff, and collaborate across biology, analytics, process development, and computational teams. Key Responsibilities Human iPSC and Tissue Model Development Maintain human iPSC lines and perform directed differentiation into relevant lineages. Assemble and characterize organoids and other 3D tissue systems, optimizing protocols for reproducibility and batch-to-batch consistency. Scale tissue manufacturing by selecting and implementing automation and bioreactor technologies suited to the production stage. Automation and High-Throughput Screening Develop and run high-throughput screening campaigns on iPSC-derived models in microplate formats (96-well and higher density). Operate, program, and integrate automated liquid handlers and robotic platforms into automated assay and culture workflows. Contribute to automation planning for tissue manufacturing and assay scale-up, including process mapping and transfer of manual methods to automated platforms. Assay Development and Analytics Run functional and phenotypic assays across relevant readout modalities. Perform imaging-based and molecular characterization of cellular and tissue samples. Analyze and report assay outputs in a structured, reproducible manner. Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, and Disease Modeling Apply iPSC-derived models to disease phenotyping, compound testing, and mechanism-of-action studies across therapeutic areas. Support safety, toxicity, pharmacology, and diagnostic assay workflows for internal and partner programs. Contribute to assay qualification and platform validation activities. ·Generate structured, metadata-rich datasets ready for downstream computational use. ·Maintain accurate sample annotation, assay traceability, and data provenance throughout experimental workflows. ·Partner with computational scientists on iterative design-build-test-learn cycles. Documentation and Team Collaboration Plan, execute, and document experiments against project milestones in ELN/LIMS systems. Author SOPs, protocols, and technical reports, and present results in internal forums. Support day-to-day lab operations and safety compliance. Required Qualifications BSc or MSc in a relevant life sciences or bioengineering field, with 3+ years of hands-on lab experience in academia, biotech, or pharma. Hands-on experience with human iPSC culture, 3D tissue or organoid systems, and standard imaging, flow, and molecular assays. Strong grasp of experimental design, documentation, and reproducibility, with comfort generating structured datasets for downstream computational use. Preferred Qualifications Experience with cardiac or CNS iPSC-derived models (organoids, assembloids, microtissues, or engineered tissues). Functional and live-cell assay platforms (MEA, patch clamp, calcium imaging, contractility, or high-content imaging). Bioreactor or scaled 3D culture systems (vertical-wheel, stirred-tank, suspension, or perfusion) for organoid or cell-therapy manufacturing. scRNA-seq sample prep, omics workflows, or multimodal biological datasets. Drug discovery, safety pharmacology, toxicology, disease modeling, or mechanism-of-action studies. Automated liquid handling, lab robotics, and scheduling software for integrated assay and culture workflows. Scripting, statistics, image analysis, or ELN/LIMS tools. Additional Expectations for Senior Research Associate Level 4–6+ years of hands-on experience in iPSC, organoid, or advanced cell-based platforms, with at least 2 years in industry. Independent design, execution, and reporting of complex experimental workflows with end-to-end ownership. Mentorship of junior scientists and cross-functional collaboration with process development, analytics, and computational teams. Track record of contributing to SOPs, assay qualification, or platform validation for internal or partner programs. Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate is a rigorous, hands-on scientist who takes pride in reproducible bench work and enjoys solving complex biological problems. This role suits someone excited to scale CytoHub's cardiac platform today, extend it into brain and future organ systems, and contribute data that powers BioEngineAI™ and downstream Cardia Therapeutics programs. Compensation Competitive salary (DOE) plus meaningful early-stage equity. Note on Applications Equal Opportunity Statement CytoHub Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative team that reflects the communities and patients our work aims to serve. #J-18808-Ljbffr