Senior/Principal Research Associate, Biochemical Methods in Neurodegeneration Drug Discovery

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At Roche, we believe it is urgent to deliver medical solutions right now, and we are passionate about transforming patients' lives. We are looking for a highly motivated Research Associate to join our team within the Research Department of the Neuroscience and Rare Diseases (NRD) Therapeutic Area in Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED). In this role you will help to advance our understanding of neurodegenerative disease pathology and translate research hypotheses into innovative therapeutics.

As a Biology Laboratory Research Associate , you will be an integral member and contributor within the Neural Signalling Section, a dynamic research unit within NRD therapeutic. The goal of the Neural Signalling Section is to advance drug discovery projects from target assessment to early clinical development. Our focus are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. You will collaborate closely with experts across various laboratories within NRD, as well as with teams from other departments in the collaborative drug discovery matrix of pRED, to translate research hypotheses into innovative therapeutics that address brain disorders.

Your role will encompass

• Protein Biochemistry: Expression and purification of recombinant and synthetic proteins, peptides, and protein aggregates for downstream analysis and QCing with immunoassay, various biophysical and imaging methods, as well as cellular and in vivo applications. The optimization of existing methods and development of new work streams is part of your responsibility.

• Tissue- and cell biochemistry: Processing of brain tissue and cell culture material (e.g. fractionation with sucrose density centrifugation, gel filtration etc.) for downstream biochemical, immunoassay and gene expression analysis. Optimize current methods and enable upscaling of protocols.

• Protein analytics: Optimize and perform analytical workstreams to robustly and reproducibly generate protein aggregates for various downstream applications.

• Drug discovery: Contribute to identifying and validating novel therapeutic targets, support compound screening, and mechanistic studies.

• Analytical Skills & Scientific Communication: Execute independent complex data analysis and interpretation, statistical analysis, and present findings, conclusions, and methods to expert teams. Building new research hypotheses, developing experimental plans, and proposing key experiments is expected from more senior applicants.

• Collaboration & Leadership: Work closely with cross-functional teams, share lab organizational duties, and actively contribute to a positive and collaborative work atmosphere. You will also provide guidance and share knowledge to fellow research associates, trainees, scientists, and students.

We are looking for someone with a deep scientific curiosity and a sense of urgency to deliver innovation. You can work independently and excel in a collaborative and inclusive team environment.

• Required Qualifications: You have a bachelor's or master's degree in Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Biology, Life Sciences, Biomedicine, or a related field, with at least 5 years of full-time laboratory experience, or you are holding a Biology Research Associate apprenticeship certificate or similar vocational training. Strong laboratory expertise in the biology of proteinopathies related to alpha-synuclein, Abeta, or other intrinsically disordered proteins is required. Having several years of industry lab experience is a plus.

• Technical Skills: You excel in biochemical methods such as protein expression (from E.coli, insect cells), purification (e.g.,FPLC, HPLC - HIC, SEC, IEC, IAC), Western blot and related capillary high-throughput platforms, immunoassays and biochemical assays such as ELISA and FRET-based assays. Experience in working with imaging technologies, microfluidics, in omics technologies or mammalian cell culture is a plus but not a must. You are a continuous learner of new methods and skills.

• Computational skills: Excellent data management and record keeping skills including use of Electronic Lab Notebooks and LIMS; digitally skilled and hands-on user of AI tools preferred; experience in independently using GraphPad, Spotfire, R, Python programming, or image analysis software is expected.

• Additional Expectations: You bring extensive hands-on experience in protein biochemistry and in working with human and rodent brain tissue under BSL2 condition. Ideally, you can dissect brain tissue from rodents; in vivo experience (LTK1, FELASA B or similar) is a plus but not required, the willingness to acquire these skills is expected.

• General Laboratory Practice: As a teamplayer you contribute to the success and optimization of a highly collaborative 'sharing and caring' laboratory work place. You maintain the highest level of diligence and safety in a BSL2 lab environment.

• Communication: You communicate, write, and present fluently in English and can discuss your work in front of small teams and larger groups.

Ready to take the next step in your career? We're excited to see what you'll bring to the team.

Apply now and upload your CV, letters of recommendation and degree certificates to get started. Please note, applicants with a PhD cannot be considered.

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