Principal Scientist

About the Role:

Stylus Medicine is seeking an innovative, intellectually curious and team-oriented Principal Scientist to join our growing Immunology team, focused on developing cutting-edge cell therapy and in vivo targeted cell engineering approaches. In this lab-based role, you will play a key part in engineering immune cells and supporting the development of delivery platforms that enable precise gene editing directly within the body. Reporting to the Senior Director of Immunology, this is a unique opportunity to work on the front lines of innovation and contribute to transformational therapies.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

• Contribute to the development of a pipeline of products for in vivo CART applications by leading development candidate and IND supportive data generation
• Lead the design and execution of in vitro studies to evaluate LNP-mediated delivery of genome engineering recombinases to primary human immune cells, with a focus on generation of CAR T cells
• Establish in vitro pharmacology assays to determine dose-responsive transfection and integration efficiency, engineered cell phenotypic profiles, CART cell functional assessment, and genome integration impacts on CART cell function
• Contribute immune biology support for development candidate nomination by integrating data from multi-parametric in vitro studies in close collaboration with LNP formulation, genome engineering, and in vivo pharmacology teams
• Contribute to the design of translational workflows linking in vitro data to in vivo pharmacology and clinical hypotheses
• Execute studies to support in vitro pharmacology data package for regulatory submissions
• Prepare study reports and data summaries for regulatory submissions, including IND-enabling packages
• Present findings in internal cross-functional meetings; contribute to external publications and scientific conferences, as needed
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to strategic planning of immunology research efforts

Qualifications & Skills:

• PhD in immunology, cancer biology, or a related field with 6+ years of relevant experience
• Deep expertise in T cell biology, immuno-oncology, and/or innate immune cell function
• Demonstrated experience with ex vivo T cell engineering (preferably non-viral) and CART cell functional assays and profiling
• Experience with LNP technologies and familiarity with in vivo delivery approaches preferred
• Ability to design and interpret complex immunological experiments to evaluate cellular uptake, engineering efficiency, immune activation, immune phenotypes, and cellular function in support of program advancement
• Familiarity with assessment of immune-related tolerability readouts is a plus
• Track record of developing candidate nomination data sets, translationally relevant in vitro models to support target validation, mechanism of action studies, and biomarker discovery
• Demonstrated contributions to IND-enabling studies, including drafting or reviewing nonclinical sections of regulatory filings and supporting regulatory strategy
• Strong leadership and project management skills; experience mentoring junior scientists and collaborating cross-functionally to advance pipeline programs
• Track record of publications and/or patents in relevant fields