Research Scientist
About the role
Title: Research Scientist
Company: Domina Therapeutics
Location: Hayward, CA (On-site)
Employment Type: Full-time
About Domina Therapeutics
Domina Therapeutics is a discovery-stage neuroscience company in Hayward, California, building a new way to find diagnostic markers and therapeutics for brain disorders. We grow iPSC-derived cortical neural networks from patients, so we can measure how real human circuits behave and how they respond to intervention. At the center of our platform we use a mechanistic biomarker to discover and validate novel drug targets and additional diagnostic biomarkers. You'll join a small, hands-on team where the cell lines you build are the foundation of every discovery we make.
About the Role
We are seeking an expert stem cell biologist to own the generation, validation, banking, and long-term maintenance of high-quality induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. The ideal candidate has deep, hands-on experience keeping iPSC cultures healthy, consistent, and well characterized over time, and treats line quality as non-negotiable. You will reprogram patient-derived blood and skin fibroblasts, build and manage our iPSC banks, and generate neurons through small-molecule-based directed differentiation. You will also develop and validate a protocol for transdifferentiating PBMCs into neurons.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintain high-quality iPSC cultures under feeder-free conditions, monitoring morphology and spontaneous differentiation and intervening quickly to preserve line integrity
- Establish and manage iPSC banks, including master and working cell banks, cryopreservation, thaw recovery, and inventory tracking
- Validate pluripotency and line quality by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry (e.g., OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60), and oversee karyotyping, genomic stability monitoring, and mycoplasma testing
- Isolate PBMCs from whole blood samples (e.g., density gradient centrifugation) and culture dermal fibroblasts for reprogramming
- Reprogram PBMCs and fibroblasts into iPSCs using non-integrating methods (e.g., Sendai virus, episomal vectors), and isolate and expand clonal lines
- Train team members on culture, banking, and validation best practices
- Generate neurons from iPSCs through small-molecule-based directed differentiation, and characterize cultures by ICC for markers such as TUJ1, MAP2, NeuN and others
- Develop & validate protocol for reprogramming PBMCs into neurons
- Troubleshoot culture and differentiation issues and drive improvements in reproducibility across lines and batches
- Maintain thorough records and present findings at team meetings
Required Qualifications
- PhD with 2+ years, or MS/BS with 6+ years of hands-on human iPSC/ESC culture experience in academic or industry settings
- Expert-level skill in long-term iPSC maintenance, with a proven record of keeping lines stable, undifferentiated, and contamination-free
- Demonstrated experience building and managing cell banks, including cryopreservation, thaw recovery, and inventory systems
- Extensive experience validating stem cell lines by flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, and familiarity with karyotyping and genomic stability assessment
- Experience isolating PBMCs from whole blood
- Hands-on experience reprogramming somatic cells (PBMCs and/or fibroblasts) into iPSCs
- Experience with directed differentiation of stem cells into neurons, including small-molecule-based protocols
- Strong documentation habits and the ability to manage many lines and timelines at once
Nice to Have
- Experience with multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings and data analysis for assessing neuronal activity (e.g., Axion Maestro)
- Western blotting and other protein expression analysis
- Experience with transdifferentiating PBMCs into neurons
What We Offer
- Competitive salary range: $95k – $145k
- Excellent equity package
- Company paid benefits: medical, dental, vision
- Generous PTO
- Other benefits: 401(k), life insurance, LT/ST disability
- Professional development and conference support
- A collaborative team working on neuro-diagnostics and -therapeutics
In your cover letter, please tell us about how many lines you have maintained at once, your longest continuous culture, and how you handled a karyotype abnormality.
Domina Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer.
