Job Description:
Palleon Pharmaceuticals is seeking an experienced computational biologist/bioinformatician to join our team which is focused on glycan-mediated immune regulation to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases. The qualified candidate will analyze patient datasets including bulk RNAseq, single cell RNAseq/TCRseq, flow cytometry and glycoproteomic profile to identify cell types and signaling pathways, and to inform translational biomarker strategy. This position will be an integral part of early preclinical discovery and early/late-stage clinical development. You will analyze patient genomic and transcriptomic data from internal studies, collaborations, and public sources to identify mechanisms and targets for overcoming immunosuppression or inflammation. You will design, interpret, and analyze bulk and single cell NGS profiling experiments to characterize drug mechanism of action and identify biomarkers. This position will report to the Head of Translational Sciences and will partner with key stakeholders in discovery biology, protein engineering, and clinical development to discover and develop target hypotheses utilizing the industry leading glyco-immunology platform developed at Palleon Pharmaceuticals.
Position Responsibilities:
- Develop and apply tools for integrative analysis and visualization of multi-dimensional datasets, integrating cellular, immune, and genomic data using appropriate statistical and machine learning models to drive drug discovery projects
- Develop biomarker-related strategies for exploration and clinical development
- Collaborate with both internal research teams and external groups/CROs and/or other external academic/industry collaborators to implement biomarker-related strategies
- Build intuitive databases and interactive GUIs to promote data accessibility for exploration by the entire team
- Analyze large datasets and present results to larger scientific groups both internally and externally
- Provide guidance on and lead drafting of biomarker-related documents and sections within clinical and regulatory documents
- Identify partners/consultants to complement internal bioinformatics efforts as needed
- Keep up to date with the literature related to this field and act as an expert resource for internal stakeholders who are driving translational strategy
Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in computational biology or a related discipline, and 5-10 years of experience in an academic or industry setting
- Strong understanding of genetics and cellular/molecular biology, and experience in oncology, as well as other indications, especially in the context of drug discovery
- Extensive knowledge and experience with several individual “-omics”, and integrating across multi “-omics” technologies (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.)
- Extensive knowledge and experience with common bioinformatic databases and resources, including cancer genomics databases (e.g. TCGA, ClinVar, UK Biobank, etc.)
- Clear record of productivity that demonstrates a direct impact on drug discovery research and development
- Proficiency in R, Python, SQL, git, and/or bash with a demonstrated ability to write readable and well-documented code
- Practical experience with high performance computing, preferably on public clouds (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Ability to prioritize and work independently to complete tasks and advance projects with minimal supervision
- Proficient written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex information and concepts
- Willingness to work both collaboratively in a team environment and independently to deliver against timelines
Who We Are:
Palleon Pharmaceuticals is the leading biotechnology company developing drugs that harness glyco-immunology to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases. The company’s proprietary platforms overcome scientific hurdles in the glycobiology field to create novel therapeutics for devastating diseases characterized by immune system dysfunction. Palleon’s lead program in oncology, E-602, is an enzymatic degrader of immunosuppressive sialoglycans on tumors and immune cells which is now being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study (NCT05259696). www.palleonpharma.com
