Exosome Post Doc Position Available – Tissue Based Biomarkers

The successful candidate will work directly with DEP scientific and management leadership to perform key tasks in a team setting. He or she will have access to many scientific and technical specialty groups within Lilly and its external partnerships, and will be expected to provide proactive personal leadership on multiple projects. He or she will employ their technological and scientific expertise, actively engaging with fellow histotechnologists, pathologists, research scientists, and project leaders to meet project goals and milestones and influence the development of molecules in the pipeline.

Key Responsibilities and Goals of Job:

• Science: Post-Doctoral Scientist will design, refine, and execute experiments to test hypotheses related to disease state characterization and drug candidate mechanism of action questions. Focus areas include: 1) optimizing exosome isolation from EDTA plasma, determine best practices for exosome storage, and molecular analysis of cell-free DNA, mRNA, miRNA; 2) disease-state characterization of cancer patient cohorts (e.g. colon, lung (NSCLC), breast, urothelial, soft-tissue sarcoma), cancer models, and in vitro lines focused on protein and nucleic acid profiling of FFPE and fresh tissues. Data are used to compare to clinicopathological characteristics, efficacy, and response to therapy.
• Techniques: Post-Doctoral Scientist will perform standard molecular techniques such as immunoblotting, qPCR, flow cytometry, nucleic acid electrophoresis. Additionally next generation techniques such as RNAseq, next-gen immunohistochemistry (IHC), and in situ proximity ligation assays will be performed. Scientist employs or partners to perform traditional pathology biomarker assays, including IHC assays and in situ hybridization assays, and special histological stains.  Scientist may assist or lead biomarker/assay development. Scientist performs or works with core facilities on standard tissue culture techniques that may include treatments, transient transfections, stable transfections, and knock-downs.
• Data analysis: Scientist works closely with pathologists and senior scientists on interpretation of data. Scientist ensures that studies are designed and executed in a manner that allows for the timely decision making process. Scientist helps manually quantify stains on slides using standardized counting guidelines. Scientist may digitize slides and perform routine image analysis.
• Communication and information management: Scientist will maintain notebooks, prepare and present data and use computer software such as Sigma Plot, JMP, FlowJo, Spotfire or other data visualization tools to organize, analyze and summarize data.
• Technical writing: Scientist is required to author project plans, reports, standard laboratory procedures and other documentation.  The post-doctoral scientist will also present data to various groups, contribute to reports, regulatory documents, posters, etc. Productive and timely writing of manuscripts following journal requirements is a goal.
• Leadership: As an advanced scientist in industry, the post-doctoral scientist is expected to integrate his or her work with the associate scientists in the laboratory and work with DEP scientists at the bench to provide technical oversight and guide development and performance of pathology assays. Review of written protocols generated by lab staff is required. Ensure quality of assays performed in the pathology lab as defined by the current DEP assay development paradigm.
• Quality control: Scientist follows standard laboratory procedures where applicable, ensures quality results, continually strives to improve efficiency, and consults with DEP leadership daily.

• Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Immunology or similar discipline.
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position.

• Demonstrated expertise in experimental design execution and creative problem solving.
• Strong publication record in Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Immunology or similar disciplines.
• Commitment to contribute to Lilly and DEP team culture.
• Demonstrated ability to influence change.
• Ability to work effectively with a large number of teams with varying goals and complexity.
• Experience with exosome isolation and analysis.
• Knowledge of immunohistochemistry, ISH, molecular techniques, Next-gen sequencing, analytical diagnostic techniques and cellular immunology assays.
• Experience with molecular and protein-based analysis in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples.
• Experience with bioinformatics analysis of RNAseq data (e.g. R/Bioconductor/limma)
• Experience with digital pathology and image analysis.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

• This position is not permanent.  It is for a fixed duration of two years with potential to extend annually for up to 4 years.

Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.