Toxicology Research Scientist
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
August 19, 2026
On-site
Boston, MA
Clinical Research and Development
Key Duties And Responsibilities
- Independently evaluate, design, and execute novel in vitro models for early screening and investigative safety assessment.
- Identify and deploy fit-for-purpose investigative assays/methodologies to address emerging safety questions and inform drug development decisions.
- Use laboratory automation and data analytics to accelerate execution, analysis, and interpretation of medium- to high-throughput toxicology experiments.
- Partner with Research and Preclinical Sciences to investigate mechanisms of toxicity and assess human relevance for actionable safety strategies and candidate progression.
- Collaborate with internal/external partners to develop, implement, and refine approaches that improve prediction and translation of drug safety risks.
- Communicate laboratory findings and present data/recommendations to project teams, cross-functional partners, and leadership.
- Evaluate emerging cellular models, toxicology screening platforms, and data analytics innovations.
- Mentor junior scientists; opportunities for formal supervisory responsibilities.
- Build and maintain external academic/industrial collaborations.
Knowledge And Skills / Qualifications
- Expertise designing, executing, and interpreting biochemical and cell-based screening assays.
- Hands-on cell culture and assay development (immortalized lines, iPSC-derived models, and/or primary cells).
- Preferred: immunoassay development/execution (multiplexed ELISA; cellular immunophenotyping by flow cytometry).
- Proficient in R, Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting.
- Strong cellular/molecular biology foundation; multi-well plate-based formats.
- Strong quantitative/analytical/problem-solving skills; clear insight derivation from complex datasets.
- Excellent writing and presentation skills; scientific curiosity.
Other Requirements
- Aptitude to work as both a wet-lab and computational scientist.
- Self-starter; collaborative, fast-paced, multi-priority capability.
Education And Experience
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD.
- PhD + 2+ years; Master’s + 5+ years; or Bachelor’s + 8+ years (academic/pharma industry).
- Independently evaluate, design, and execute novel in vitro models for early screening and investigative safety assessment.
- Identify and deploy fit-for-purpose investigative assays/methodologies to address emerging safety questions and inform drug development decisions.
- Use laboratory automation and data analytics to accelerate execution, analysis, and interpretation of medium- to high-throughput toxicology experiments.
- Partner with Research and Preclinical Sciences to investigate mechanisms of toxicity and assess human relevance for actionable safety strategies and candidate progression.
- Collaborate with internal/external partners to develop, implement, and refine approaches that improve prediction and translation of drug safety risks.
- Communicate laboratory findings and present data/recommendations to project teams, cross-functional partners, and leadership.
- Evaluate emerging cellular models, toxicology screening platforms, and data analytics innovations.
- Mentor junior scientists; opportunities for formal supervisory responsibilities.
- Build and maintain external academic/industrial collaborations.
Knowledge And Skills / Qualifications
- Expertise designing, executing, and interpreting biochemical and cell-based screening assays.
- Hands-on cell culture and assay development (immortalized lines, iPSC-derived models, and/or primary cells).
- Preferred: immunoassay development/execution (multiplexed ELISA; cellular immunophenotyping by flow cytometry).
- Proficient in R, Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting.
- Strong cellular/molecular biology foundation; multi-well plate-based formats.
- Strong quantitative/analytical/problem-solving skills; clear insight derivation from complex datasets.
- Excellent writing and presentation skills; scientific curiosity.
Other Requirements
- Aptitude to work as both a wet-lab and computational scientist.
- Self-starter; collaborative, fast-paced, multi-priority capability.
Education And Experience
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD.
- PhD + 2+ years; Master’s + 5+ years; or Bachelor’s + 8+ years (academic/pharma industry).