Principal/Senior Scientist: In Vivo Biology

About Us:

Founded in 2017 by scientists from Harvard Medical School and UCSF, Autonomous Therapeutics is developing target-activated medicines for diseases ranging from respiratory viral infections to cancer.

Our goal is to create therapies that act only in diseased cells, minimizing off-target effects and maximizing patient benefit. We are a growing team of PhD scientists and engineers working in an 18,000 sq. ft. R&D facility in Rockville, Maryland, combining biology, chemistry, in vivo science, robotics, and AI to build first-in-class therapeutics.

About the Job:

We are seeking a creative, hands-on In Vivo Biologist to help advance next-generation medicines targeting respiratory viral pathogens and lung cancer. This role is centered on in vivo model development and therapeutic evaluation, with opportunities to contribute broadly across our discovery and development pipeline.

You will join a collaborative team of 20+ PhD scientists and report directly to the CEO and the Head of In Vivo Biology, working closely with cross-functional partners to translate experimental results into therapeutic insight.

What You’ll Do:

  • Develop and optimize in vivo models for viral infections and oncology indications

  • Design and execute therapeutic and vaccine efficacy studies in mouse models

  • Perform and analyze immunological readouts from in vivo studies

  • Collaborate closely with chemistry, formulation, and discovery teams to support pipeline programs

  • Analyze, interpret, and present experimental data to internal stakeholders

  • Contribute to experimental strategy, model selection, and study design

  • Learn and apply cutting-edge robotics and AI-enabled in vivo workflows developed in-house

Who You Are:

You are a rigorous, curious, and execution-focused in vivo scientist who enjoys building models, generating high-quality data, and contributing to translational decision-making. Your exact scientific background matters less than your ability to design thoughtful experiments and drive discovery forward.

Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in Biology, Immunology, Virology, Cancer Biology, or a related field

  • 4+ years of hands-on post-Ph.D. experience in in vivo research

  • Deep expertise in at least one of the following core areas:

    • Model development in vivo: Developing viral or oncology models in mice (e.g. respiratory viral infection models, tumor models, models in immunodeficient mice).

    • Therapeutic or Vaccine studies in vivo: Testing and probing countermeasure candidates in mouse models for any indication, including: viruses, solid tumor cancers, or autoimmune diseases.

    • Immunology in vivo: Expertise isolating immune and other cells from mice (e.g. from blood, lungs, liver, lymph nodes, and spleen) as well as expertise in analyses, including: RT-qPCR, in vivo imaging (IVIS), and flow cytometry.

  • Additional expertise in at least of the following areas is highly preferred:

    • Virology: Expertise developing and testing antivirals: e.g. for respiratory viral indications (e.g. via inhaled delivery) or in immunodeficient models

    • Cancer Biology: Expertise probing novel cancer medicines or detection modalities, including: monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapies, or cell therapies (e.g. CAR-T)

    • Nucleic Acid Medicines: Expertise with mRNA, siRNA, oligonucleotide, or gene therapies, or with novel methods of nucleic acid delivery (e.g. conjugation, LNP).

Why Join Autonomous Therapeutics:

  • Work on first-in-class medicines with the potential to eliminate off-target toxicity

  • Collaborate with a deeply technical, interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers

  • Gain exposure to cutting-edge robotics and AI-driven experimentation, developed in-house

  • Direct access to scientific leadership and real influence over platform direction

  • Operate in a fast-moving startup environment with strong scientific rigor and ambition

Benefits & Compensation:

Salary Range: 90,000$ - 180,000$

In addition to competitive compensation, we offer:

  • Stock options

  • Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

  • 401(k) plan with employer matching

  • Paid time off and a flexible work schedule

  • A collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on scientific excellence and impact

Location & Work Type:

  • Full-time, on-site

  • Rockville, Maryland

If you’re passionate about building rigorous in vivo models and using them to advance life-changing therapies, we’d love to hear from you.