Senior Research Associate, Cancer Biology

About the Company:

Stipple Bio, Inc. is a private biotechnology company harnessing epitope-level precision to create targeted cancer therapies. We pioneered a Pointillist ‘epitomics’ discovery platform to unlock tumor-specific epitopes and develop a pipeline of next-generation precision oncology therapeutics with a high therapeutic index. Our lead candidate STP-100, designed to avoid on-target/oM-tumor toxicity, is expected to enter clinical studies in early 2027. Stipple Bio is well capitalized and has announced a $100M Series A financing which supports the company into 2029.

About the Role:

The Senior Research Associate, Cancer Biology role at Stipple Bio is a BS/MS level scientist position within the Research department, reporting to the Director, Cancer Biology. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this individual will play a critical hands-on role in preclinical research for development of biologic cancer therapeutics including antibodies, ADCs, and TCEs. Critical thinking and ability to derive insights from data are key. The successful candidate will bring a sense of urgency and commitment to help Stipple Bio deliver patient life changing medicines.

Responsibilities:

• Design and execute in vitro cancer biology experiments using relevant tumor cell line and primary cell models including mechanistic studies, target expression evaluation, and pathway validation
• Perform cell-based assays including proliferation/apoptosis/cytotoxicity assays, flow cytometry-based assays, and tumor-immune cell co-cultures and functional assays to assess cancer biology endpoints
• Collaborate with the Antibody Discovery team to provide cancer biology support for antibody screening, target validation, and functional characterization of therapeutic candidates
• Support translational research activities including in vivo tumor drug combination studies and indication selection strategies to inform clinical development decisions
• Analyze and interpret experimental data; maintain accurate and detailed documentation
• Communicate experimental results at regular team meetings and actively participate in scientific discussion

Qualifications:

Required:

• BS with 4 years or MS with 2 year of biotech/pharma industry experience in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Immunology, or a related scientific discipline
• Strong hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and flow cytometry
• Hands-on experience with in vitro tumor model systems
• Experience with cancer cell biology assays (e.g., internalization, binding, proliferation, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, immune cell co-culture)
• Solid understanding of molecular biology and cancer signaling (e.g., qPCR, Western blot, pathway analysis)
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., FlowJo, GraphPad Prism)

Preferred:

• Familiarity with tumor immunology or immuno-oncology concepts and assays
• Experience with biologic cancer therapeutic modalities (e.g., ADCs, TCEs, or targeted agents) in a cancer biology context
• Experience supporting antibody discovery workflows, including familiarity with antibody binding assays (e.g., flow cytometry, ELISA, BLI) or internalization studies
• Working knowledge of CRISPR based methodologies

Personal attributes: team oriented, goal-driven, organized, highly collaborative, open-minded, data-driven, creative, persistent in the face of obstacles and uncertainty, flexible, self-aware of strengths and weaknesses, objective in the evaluation of data and strongly optimistic about overcoming challenges.