Working at MIT offers opportunities that just aren’t found anywhere else, including generous and unique benefits that help to ensure that MIT employees are healthy, supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work/life balance. Discover more about what it's like to work at MIT.

We welcome people from all walks of life to bring their talent, ideas, and experience to our community. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds – like yours. If you want to be part of our exceptional, multicultural, collaborative, and inclusive community, then take a look at this opportunity.

MIT provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the Institute reasonably expects to pay for a full time position at the time of posting (if you are applying for a part time salaried job, you will need to prorate the posted pay range). The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements. This pay range represents base pay only and does not include any other benefits or compensation.

Research Scientist, Boyer Lab

Job Number: 26191
Functional Area: Research - Scientific
Department: Biology
School Area: Science
Pay Range Minimum: $74,000
Pay Range Maximum: $111,000

Employment Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Exempt
Visa Sponsorship Available: Yes
Schedule:
Pay Grade: No Grade

Posting Description

RESEARCH SCIENTIST 2, Biology, lead research efforts across the Boyer, Boyden, and Ovchinnikov laboratories to design, characterize, and validate synthetic high-refractive-index proteins for improving transparency in living tissues. Responsibilities include designing and optimizing cellular screening assays to evaluate protein expression, subcellular localization, phototoxicity, and refractive index changes across cell types and culture conditions. The scientist will analyze screening results, integrate microscopy data with computational protein design predictions, and guide iterative candidate selection and refinement. Will establish and characterize three-dimensional tissue models, including organoids, engineered tissues, and ex vivo tissue explants, to validate protein performance in living systems. Responsibilities also include developing genetic delivery strategies, conducting live-tissue imaging, quantifying improvements in transparency and imaging depth, and assessing tissue viability and safety. Additional duties include developing quantitative image analysis pipelines, integrating imaging and biophysical data, generating publication-quality figures and datasets, and preparing technical reports. Will coordinate experimental priorities and resources across computational, experimental, and animal-testing teams; troubleshoot and optimize laboratory protocols; and mentor technical staff. Will also present research findings at meetings and conferences, contribute to scientific manuscripts, and support open-science initiatives by sharing protocols, constructs, and analytical tools with the broader research community.

The full job description here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:cddbe215-fb85-438f-8207-38620d9e52e6

Job Requirements

REQUIRED: Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Biophysics, Optical Imaging, Biomedical Engineering, or related; a minimum of four years of related experience in a research environment, experience in live-cell/tissue imaging or protein characterization preferred; advanced microscopy, quantitative image analysis, mammalian cell culture, genetic delivery, and 3D tissue systems; demonstrated strong experimental design, statistical analysis, troubleshooting, scientific writing, and collaboration skills. PREFERRED: Experience in protein design, synthetic biology, machine learning, and interdisciplinary leadership.

10/29/2026