Scientist - Viral Gene Delivery

Merge Labs is a frontier research lab with the mission of bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability, agency and experience. We’re pursuing this goal by developing fundamentally new approaches to brain-computer interfaces that interact with the brain at high bandwidth, integrate with advanced AI, and are ultimately safe and accessible for anyone to use.

About the team

The Delivery team develops the viral and non-viral delivery technologies that enable Merge's next-generation neurotechnology platform. By partnering closely with bioengineering, neuroscience, and in vivo teams, we create delivery systems that support rapid preclinical testing while advancing the platform toward safe and effective human translation. We work across disciplines to come up with creative ideas and solve some of the most challenging problems in biotechnology.

About the role

As a Scientist in the Delivery team, you will engineer and validate viral gene delivery approaches to enable the expression and function of novel molecular biosensors and actuators of neural activity in preclinical models. Your work will serve as the critical bridge between molecular engineering and in vivo functionality and enable the ultimate clinical translation of molecular BCI. You will collaborate closely with protein engineers, cell and synthetic biologists, machine learning engineers, physicists and neuroscientists. We’re hiring for complementary roles across the Delivery team. We encourage you to apply for the role that best aligns with your experience.

In this role, you will:

• Design, build, and test AAV and other viral vectors for gene delivery to the CNS, spanning serotype selection, cargo and regulatory element design, dose, and route of administration.

• Design, run, and interpret in vivo studies in rodents and, where appropriate, large animal models, iterating rapidly from results to the next round of optimization.

• Evaluate and benchmark routes of administration for viral gene delivery to the brain, including pairing of viral vectors with focused ultrasound blood-brain barrier opening.

• Build or adapt the assays and readouts needed to quantify delivery, expression, cell-type specificity, and tolerability in brain tissue.

• Evaluate emerging delivery technologies and help shape the team's longer-term delivery strategy. Make data-driven calls on which routes and technologies to advance.

You might thrive in this role if you have:

• A Ph.D. or equivalent experience leading research projects end-to-end in bioengineering, neuroscience, virology, cell biology, molecular biology or a related field.

• Prior hands-on experience designing and testing AAV or other viral vectors in vivo to target the central nervous system.

• Demonstrated expertise in developing or optimizing gene delivery modalities.

• Developed and executed assays to evaluate gene delivery and expression in brain tissue.

• Designed and executed in vivo studies and interpreted delivery and expression results.

• Experience using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier or otherwise facilitate delivery to the brain.

• Worked on a delivery-related problem that is unusual or complex and loved it.

• Enjoyed working on multidisciplinary teams, collaborating and communicating with experts across disciplines.

• The desire to be part of a fast-paced team working on frontier scientific and technical problems.

Nice to have:

• Experience advancing a vector through preclinical translation or into the clinic.

• Familiarity with CMC, scale-up, or GMP manufacturing considerations for viral vectors.

• Expertise in AAV virology or capsid engineering.

• Have worked with large animal models.

• Familiarity with non-viral delivery technologies.

• Experience sourcing, evaluating, or in-licensing delivery technologies through external collaboration.

If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification, please apply. As we build, we're hiring for complementary strengths to form a high-impact team.

For more information about hiring at Merge, please visit our Hiring FAQ

Merge Labs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, family status, ancestry, citizenship, U.S. military (state and federal) and veteran status, or any other legally protected status. It is our intention that all applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job related factors. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made by emailing accommodations@merge.io.