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Req #: 246348

Department: BIOCHEMISTRY/IPD

Posting Date: 05/27/2025

Closing Info:

Open Until Filled

Salary: $8,000 - $10,500 per month

Shift: First Shift

Notes:

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf )

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

POSITION PURPOSE

The specific field of research for this Research Scientist 4 - Malaria is in the computational design and experimental characterization of novel protein nanoparticle vaccine candidates for malaria. This position is devoted primarily to scientific research and requires a Master’s Degree in a biochemistry- or biology-related field, with at least 4 years of experience in malaria vaccinology.

The UW Institute for Protein Design (IPD) is seeking to hire a Research Scientist 4 - Malaria to lead the IPD’s program on malaria vaccine discovery and development. The Research Scientist 4 will work closely with Dr. Neil King and a team of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research scientists at the IPD – as well as external collaborators and funders – to conceive, design, produce, and characterize novel malaria vaccine candidates.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Scientist 4 - Malaria will lead coordination of all malaria vaccine-based projects at the IPD. The candidate will develop and maintain collaborations with other research labs throughout the world to effectively integrate their expertise with vaccine technologies developed in the King lab. The Research Scientist 4 - Malaria will also directly lead vaccine design and characterization efforts.

Malaria vaccine design and characterization – 50%

+ Model and design new malaria antigens as improved vaccine candidates using Rosetta, ProteinMPNN, and RFdiffusion, as well as continually test and evaluate new machine learning techniques as they emerge and develop computational pipelines with these techniques. Identify new problems and design goals for malaria vaccines and create new projects based on these.

+ Design, test, and implement protocols and techniques for evaluating P. falciparum CSP- and RH5-based protein nanoparticle immunogen stability, antigenicity, and structure in vitro. Use these in vitro metrics to design animal immunogenicity studies to test immunogens. Design serology experiments for these studies and coordinate their execution with collaborators, including ELISAs, traversal assays, growth inhibition assays, and epitope mapping using competition with monoclonal antibodies, knockout probes, and electron microscopy polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM).Characterize monoclonal antibodies isolated from immunogenicity studies using biolayer interferometry (BLI), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and electron microscopy (EM).

+ Design new stabilized CSP and RH5-based antigens using above described in silico techniques. Incorporate designed antigens into protein nanoparticle immunogens suitable for delivery as mRNA vaccines. Characterize these nanoparticles for their formation and secretion from mammalian cells using BLI, SPR, EM, DLS, SEC, and protease stability analyses. Design immunogenicity experiments for these mRNA-launched nanoparticle vaccines and design and coordinate serological evaluation as described above.Design nanoparticle immunogens for malaria that incorporate engineered N-linked glycans that engage the innate immune system and improve vaccine performance. Experimentally characterize the composition, structure, antigenicity, assembly competency, stability, and immunogenicity of glycosylated nanoparticle immunogens.Training/Mentoring – 20%

+ Training of new personnel and IPD researchers in computational antigen design, nanoparticle vaccine design, experimental characterization (particularly biophysical and antigenic characterization), and malaria parasitology, pathology, and vaccinology.

+ The Research Scientist 4 - Malaria may supervise and mentor RSE-level FTEs and Student Assistants.

+ Aid and give workshops on writing research articles to newer members of the King lab and IPD.

+ Coordinate and lead a monthly “Machine learning-based antigen design” subgroup meeting that involves members of the Baker, DiMaio, and King labs at the IPD. Analysis and Reporting of Results – 20%

+ Coordinate study designs and communicate the results and interpretations of each study with a number of internal collaborators at the IPD, including members of the King lab, the IPD Core Research Labs, and the IPD’s Translational unit.

+ Independently write and publish scientific research articles on malaria vaccine design.

+ Aid in writing grant proposals and presenting data for grant applications from the King lab and the IPD.

+ Prepare and present data, analyses, and plans to funders of the IPD’s malaria vaccine design efforts.

+ Attend and present work at scientific conferences.Collaboration with Internal and External Stakeholders – 10%

+ Coordinate collaborative research programs with collaborating labs worldwide.

+ Plan, prepare for, and lead monthly calls with collaborating research groups. **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS** Master's Degree in Biochemistry, Biology or similar and 4 years of relevant experience with Protein Design, OR equivalent combination of education/experience. **ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS**

+ Understanding of organizational structure both within and outside the work unit, including the role of each position in the group and in other groups.

+ Ability to develop innovative processes to achieve goals. Reviews work activities to determine where new information could improve processes or move projects forward.

+ Ability to select and apply standardized scientific procedures and techniques to assignments of moderate complexity, involving potentially conflicting design requirements.

+ Experience with protein design, including Rosetta, RFdiffusion, and ProteinMPNN for antigen design; developing protein nanoparticle-based malaria vaccines; designing and producing proteins for animal studies; serology of malaria vaccines; electron microscopy; biolayer interferometry **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS**

+ Candidates must be capable of independently designing and carrying out experiments, as well as developing new procedures and techniques for assignments of high complexity.

+ Must have extensive scientific writing experience and be able to independently write manuscripts. **Application Process:** The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.