Senior Research Scientist: Systems Neuroscience - Biomarkers & Precision Neuromodulation

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Job Title

Senior Research Scientist

Systems Neuroscience, Biomarkers & Precision Neuromodulation

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

Abbott Neuromodulation is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to lead translational neuroscience research focused on understanding the neural and biological mechanisms underlying neuromodulation therapies. This position is located in Plano, TX.

The successful candidate will design and execute preclinical and translational studies integrating electrophysiology, neural circuit analysis, behavioral neuroscience, biomarkers, molecular biology, and advanced analytical approaches to identify mechanisms of therapeutic response and support the development of future adaptive neuromodulation systems.

Working closely with molecular biology, clinical, engineering, regulatory, and data science teams, the scientist will help connect neural activity, biomarker signatures, and therapeutic outcomes to enable precision neuromodulation approaches.

This role requires a scientifically rigorous and execution-oriented leader who can effectively communicate complex scientific concepts, influence cross-functional teams, represent Abbott in external collaborations, and translate research findings into actionable development programs.

What You'll Do

• Systems Neuroscience & Neuromodulation
  • Design and execute studies investigating neural circuit mechanisms of neuromodulation.
  • Develop electrophysiological, behavioral, and physiological measures associated with therapeutic response.
  • Support development of adaptive and closed-loop neuromodulation concepts.
  • Investigate relationships between stimulation parameters, neural activity, biological response, and clinical outcomes.
• Translational Biomarker Discovery
  • Integrate electrophysiological, molecular, behavioral, and clinical datasets.
  • Identify biomarkers associated with treatment response and mechanism of action.
  • Collaborate with genetics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology teams to develop multimodal biological signatures.
  • Contribute to precision medicine and patient stratification approaches for neuromodulation therapies.
• Program Leadership & Execution
  • Establish study objectives, milestones, budgets, timelines, and key deliverables.
  • Develop actionable research plans and drive successful execution against program goals.
  • Identify technical, scientific, and operational risks and develop mitigation strategies.
  • Deliver high-quality scientific outputs on schedule and within budget.
  • Coordinate activities across internal and external collaborators.
• Scientific Communication & External Engagement
  • Serve as a scientific representative for Abbott in internal and external collaborations.
  • Present scientific findings, program updates, and strategic recommendations to technical, business, clinical, and executive stakeholders.
  • Represent Abbott's scientific and strategic positions professionally and effectively in meetings with investigators, key opinion leaders, research organizations, and industry partners.
  • Author scientific publications, conference presentations, technical reports, and invention disclosures.
• Clinical, Preclinical & Regulatory Documentation
  • Prepare and contribute to study protocols, technical documentation, and regulatory submissions.
  • Develop and maintain IACUC protocols, IRB protocols, and associated research documentation.
  • Support clinical and preclinical study execution activities in compliance with applicable regulatory and ethical requirements.
  • Contribute to generation of evidence supporting future product development and clinical initiatives.
• Design Controls & Quality Systems
  • Work within Abbott's quality system and product development processes.
  • Contribute to design control activities including requirements development, risk analysis, verification, validation, and traceability.
  • Collaborate with engineering, quality, and regulatory partners throughout the product development lifecycle.
  • Ensure research activities are conducted in accordance with applicable design controls, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, Neuroengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physiology, Molecular Neuroscience, Biology, or a related discipline; or
• Master's degree in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline with 8+ years of directly relevant experience; or
• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, or related discipline with 10+ years of directly relevant industry experience.
• 5+ years of postdoctoral and/or industry research experience leading complex neuroscience research programs.
• Experience designing and executing preclinical and/or translational neuroscience studies.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Electrophysiology
  • Neural circuits
  • Neuromodulation
  • Systems neuroscience
  • Biomarker discovery
  • Molecular neuroscience
  • Neurophysiology
  • Translational neuroscience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively across scientific, engineering, clinical, regulatory, and executive audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to define objectives, build execution plans, drive deliverables, and achieve program goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• • Experience with electrophysiological methods such as patch clamp, MEA, EEG, ECAP, LFP, calcium imaging, or neural recording systems.
  • Experience with neuromodulation technologies including SCS, DBS, VNS, TMS, or closed-loop systems.
  • Experience with transcriptomics, spatial biology, genomics, biomarker discovery, or multi-omics approaches.
  • Familiarity with AI/ML approaches applied to neuroscience or multimodal biological datasets.
  • Experience in chronic pain, movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, or sensory neuroscience.
  • Experience operating within a regulated medical device environment.
  • Working knowledge of design controls, risk management, verification and validation, and quality management systems.
  • Experience developing IACUC, IRB, or clinical study documentation.
    

Apply Now

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:  www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

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The base pay for this position is

$78,000.00 – $156,000.00

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY:

Research and Discovery

DIVISION:

NM Neuromodulation

LOCATION:

United States > Texas > Plano : 6901 Preston Road

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:

WORK SHIFT:

Standard

TRAVEL:

Not specified

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:

Not Applicable

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:

Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous walking for prolonged periods (more than 2 hours at a time in an 8 hour day)Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdfEEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf