Scientist, Virology Research

About us:

Our purpose at Dispatch is to help create a world where all cancer patients can be cured. We’re humbled by the opportunity to work together as a team on some of the most pressing medical challenges of our time.

To achieve our purpose, we are dedicated to engineering a universal treatment across solid tumors. We’re committed to the development of novel therapies, leveraging first-in-class technologies in viral vectors, universal targets, and novel cytokine biology. Our therapeutic approach has the potential to enable us to treat significant numbers of cancer patients and make a real and lasting impact on the world.

Our company was founded on pioneering work carried out in the laboratories of Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Kole Roybal (University of California, San Francisco), Dr. Christopher Garcia (Stanford University) and Dr. Andy Minn (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).

At our company, you would become one of our early team members— not only playing a role in meeting our ambitious mission but also building our thriving culture. We are determined to deliver with urgency to discover new solutions and we always stay dedicated to scientific rigor; we have an ownership mindset because each and every one of us is integral to our success. Collaboration is core for us because we believe that by bringing people together with diverse perspectives, we make a stronger whole. And, we show we care about our work and each other by sharing feedback - ultimately in service of our vision to empower people to continue forward with their lives – cancer free.

The role:

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join our team and take advantage of our state-of-the-art oncolytic virus/viral gene delivery and cell therapy systems capabilities to discover novel cancer immunotherapy approaches. This position will report to the Senior Scientist II, Virology Research and focus on the characterization of various oncolytic virus candidates in combination with our core technologies.

Key responsibilities:

• Isolate, expand, purify and characterize viruses emerging from genetically engineered viruses
• Evaluate novel replication-competent virus candidates in high throughput in vitro assays utilizing cancer cell lines, organoids and normal tissue
• Support team members in the engineering of novel oncolytic viruses and the assessment of their potential for cancer treatment
• Support development of neutralization and antibody binding assays for the translational research team
• Communicate experimental findings in team meetings
• Analyze, document, and report laboratory data in accordance with company SOPs
• Present data and future experimental designs in meetings with scientific leadership

Required experience & skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Virology, Immunology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry or related field with at least 3 years of experience or Master’s Degree in similar fields with at least 2 years of experience working in a research laboratory setting
• Prior experience in Discovery Research is imperative
• Extensive hands-on experience in molecular and cell biology techniques, including cell culture, flow cytometry, ELISAs, luminescence-based assays, RT-qPCR, and molecular cloning
• Ability to independently execute, analyze, and interpret experimental assays and troubleshoot, as needed
• Collaborative attitude, ability to work in a team and dedicated work ethic
• Strong organizational and planning skills and the desire to work in a flexible and fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferred experience & skills:

• Prior experience with culturing and isolation/purification of adenovirus
• Experimentation involving activation, migration, and/or complex co-culture assays with immune cells (PBMCs, T cells, macrophages) is a plus
• Experience characterizing adenovirus, including infectious titer assays (plaque assay, TCID50) and physical titer determination; HPLC experience is a plus
• Previous experience with multiplex cytokine measurements using MSD and/or Luminex
• Previous handing of primary immune cells, primary tumor tissues, and/or organoids a plus
• Proficiency with data analysis software such as Graphpad Prism and FlowJo

Our values:

Our values guide everything we do. While capabilities and skills are vital, understanding how a potential new colleague would embody our values is central to our hiring decisions.

Determined to deliver:

By working with focus and passion, we can provide patients with the solutions they need.

Own every outcome:

We can reach new heights when we stay centered on our shared success.

Collaboration at the core:

When we band together, our work is better.

Feedback is fundamental:

Constructive and authentic positive feedback may be difficult to master but it is vital to our success.

Working here:

• We offer a highly competitive compensation package with meaningful ownership through equity
• Excellent coverage for medical, vision, and dental
• 401(k) with generous contribution
• Life insurance
• Flexible PTO policy
• Additional substantial benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, national origin, or any characteristic protected under applicable law.