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Salary: USD 107,000 - 114,000 / annual
insitro is a physical AI company using machine learning and cellular data to decode human biology and accelerate drug discovery. The company has developed a Virtual Human™ platform to identify genetic intervention points and a TherML™ platform to translate these into therapeutics (small molecules, biologics, or oligos). With multiple programs in metabolic disease and neuroscience advancing toward the clinic and an IND submission planned for late 2026, the company is at a critical inflection point.
You will join the cardiac disease biology team as an Associate Scientist III, supporting the development and application of iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte (iPSC-CM) models to study the genetic and molecular basis of cardiovascular disease. Working at the intersection of human stem cell biology, cardiac physiology, and scalable experimental platforms, you will generate datasets that fuel the company's ML-driven drug discovery efforts.
Key responsibilities include:
**iPSC-CM Platform & Model Development:** Generate and maintain iPSC lines, differentiate them into cardiomyocytes in 2D monolayer format, and implement rigorous quality control at each pipeline stage with emphasis on production scalability. Build isogenic iPSC-CM disease models using patient-derived and CRISPR-edited lines carrying disease-associated variants, then characterize these models to study cardiovascular pathophysiology.
**Functional Assays & Disease Modeling:** Develop and optimize functional assays relevant to cardiovascular disease (contractility, electrophysiology, calcium handling, stress responses, high-content imaging) in formats compatible with high-throughput data acquisition. Document procedures, write and review SOPs, present results in team meetings, and maintain rigorous laboratory notebooks.
**Cross-functional Partnership:** Contribute to target identification and validation by connecting cellular phenotypes to human genetic evidence, aligning efforts with team and company goals to advance drug discovery.
You will report directly to the Senior Scientist, Cardiometabolic Disease - Translational Genetics, and work onsite at the South San Francisco office 5 days per week.
**Requirements:**
- Bachelor's or master's degree in biology, biochemistry, or related discipline
- At least 2 years of relevant experience in biotech/biopharma industry
- Deep hands-on experience in iPSC culture, cardiac directed differentiation, and iPSC-CM model characterization in 2D (monolayer) format
- Previous experience developing genetic iPSC-CM disease models (patient-derived lines, CRISPR-edited isogenic pairs) to study cardiovascular mechanisms
- Background in cardiomyocyte biology and/or cardiovascular disease (preferred)
- Experience with functional assays relevant to cardiomyocyte biology (contractility, calcium, electrophysiology, imaging, stress responses)
- Prior exposure to high-throughput platforms and/or automated systems (plus)
- Hands-on expertise in molecular assays (PCR, RT-qPCR, Western Blot, immunofluorescence)
- Track record of executing rigorous experiments and communicating findings clearly in publications, presentations, or internal reports
- Experience with 3D/engineered heart tissue platforms or organoids (plus)
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to detail and scientific rigor
