Merck Header

Associate Scientist, Post Doctoral Fellow, Neuroimmunology

West Point, PA
Full-Time

Job Description

Job Description

Be a part of the legacy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program

Our Research Laboratories' Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.

Position Overview:

We are looking for an energetic, innovative postdoctoral fellow with strong expertise in immunology, cell biology, or Neuroscience to join our Neuroscience team at the West Point, PA site. You'll become part of a highly collaborative research environment, working on a cross-functional project that bridges Neuroscience and Infectious Disease & Vaccines.

In this role you will:

  • Design and execute mechanistic studies and develop relevant models to test hypotheses.

  • Work closely with mentors and a multidisciplinary team to shape research plans, generate robust data, and produce novel, field-advancing insights in neuroimmunology.

  • Launch and lead independent projects that investigate how adaptive immunity changes with aging and how these changes influence neurodegenerative disease.

If you are driven to translate curiosity into rigorously executed experiments and meaningful discoveries, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact at the interface of neuroscience and immunology.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Establish and optimize models of innate and adaptive immune modulation in pre-clinical species.

  • Develop immunological assays to characterize innate and antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses.

  • Perform neurodegenerative pathology analysis in animal models of disease using immunohistochemistry, western blot, Meso scale discovery assay et.al.

  • Perform single cell assays including high-parameter flow cytometry and single cell omics profiling (e.g. single cell RNAseq and immune repertoire profiling).

  • Data interpretation, manuscript and patent preparation, publication, and presentation.

Education Minimum Requirement:

  • Ph.D. completed within 6 months of hire in Immunology, Cell biology, Neuroscience or related field.

Required Experience and Skills:

  • Expertise in in vivo immunological response studies.

  • Hands-on experience working with pre-clinical animal models and manipulating samples derived from these models.

  • Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in aseptic techniques in tissue culture.

  • Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in molecular biology and cell biology.

  • Hands-on experience with in vitro assay development and troubleshooting.

  • Experience in immunological assays (e.g. ELISA, ELISPOT, high-parameter flow cytometry, cell sorting, in vitro restimulation assays).

  • Strong publication record and ability to design and execute experiments and interpret data.

  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Skills that would be a plus but not required:

  • Experience in biochemistry/molecular biology assays (immunohistochemistry, western blot, Meso Scale Discovery assay et.al.)

  • Familiarity or experience with single-cell omics assays and data analysis, in vitro restimulation assays.

  • Familiarity or experience with Alzheimer's disease animal models

  • Familiarity or experience with vaccine platforms.

    postdoctoralopportunities

    Required Skills:

    Assay, Assay Development, Biochemical Assays, Blotting Techniques, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Biology, Cell Culture Techniques, Immunoassays, Immunochemistry, Immunofluorescence Microscopy, Immunology, In Vitro Assays, In Vivo Mouse Models, Molecular Biology, Neuroanatomy, Neurotrophins, Scientific Writing, Tissue Cultures

    Preferred Skills:

    Current Employees apply HERE

    Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

    US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

    Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

    As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

    EEOC Know Your Rights

    EEOC GINA Supplement

    We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively.

    Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

    U.S. Hybrid Work Model

    Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as "remote".

    San Francisco Residents Only:We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

    Los Angeles Residents Only:We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

    Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
    Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

    Employee Status:

    Regular

    Relocation:

    Domestic

    VISA Sponsorship:

    Yes

    Travel Requirements:

    10%

    Flexible Work Arrangements:

    Not Applicable

    Shift:

    Not Indicated

    Valid Driving License:

    No

    Hazardous Material(s):

    N/A

    Job Posting End Date:

    12/18/2025

    *A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.


    Requisition ID:R370877

    PDN-a04c0a78-05f6-4e78-a2cf-25cb5c5c47b9

    Job Description

    Be a part of the legacy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program

    Our Research Laboratories' Postdoctoral Research Fellow Program aims to be a best-in-industry program for industrial postdoctoral researchers, designed to provide you with an academic focus in a commercial environment. With the resources, reach, and expertise of a large pharmaceutical company, postdoctoral researchers will be positioned to excel in an institution committed to breakthrough innovation in research and discovery.

    Position Overview:

    We are looking for an energetic, innovative postdoctoral fellow with strong expertise in immunology, cell biology, or Neuroscience to join our Neuroscience team at the West Point, PA site. You'll become part of a highly collaborative research environment, working on a cross-functional project that bridges Neuroscience and Infectious Disease & Vaccines.

    In this role you will:

    • Design and execute mechanistic studies and develop relevant models to test hypotheses.

    • Work closely with mentors and a multidisciplinary team to shape research plans, generate robust data, and produce novel, field-advancing insights in neuroimmunology.

    • Launch and lead independent projects that investigate how adaptive immunity changes with aging and how these changes influence neurodegenerative disease.

    If you are driven to translate curiosity into rigorously executed experiments and meaningful discoveries, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact at the interface of neuroscience and immunology.

    Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

    • Establish and optimize models of innate and adaptive immune modulation in pre-clinical species.

    • Develop immunological assays to characterize innate and antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses.

    • Perform neurodegenerative pathology analysis in animal models of disease using immunohistochemistry, western blot, Meso scale discovery assay et.al.

    • Perform single cell assays including high-parameter flow cytometry and single cell omics profiling (e.g. single cell RNAseq and immune repertoire profiling).

    • Data interpretation, manuscript and patent preparation, publication, and presentation.

    Education Minimum Requirement:

    • Ph.D. completed within 6 months of hire in Immunology, Cell biology, Neuroscience or related field.

    Required Experience and Skills:

    • Expertise in in vivo immunological response studies.

    • Hands-on experience working with pre-clinical animal models and manipulating samples derived from these models.

    • Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in aseptic techniques in tissue culture.

    • Hands-on experience and solid knowledge in molecular biology and cell biology.

    • Hands-on experience with in vitro assay development and troubleshooting.

    • Experience in immunological assays (e.g. ELISA, ELISPOT, high-parameter flow cytometry, cell sorting, in vitro restimulation assays).

    • Strong publication record and ability to design and execute experiments and interpret data.

    • Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

    Skills that would be a plus but not required:

    • Experience in biochemistry/molecular biology assays (immunohistochemistry, western blot, Meso Scale Discovery assay et.al.)

    • Familiarity or experience with single-cell omics assays and data analysis, in vitro restimulation assays.

    • Familiarity or experience with Alzheimer's disease animal models

    • Familiarity or experience with vaccine platforms.

      postdoctoralopportunities

      Required Skills:

      Assay, Assay Development, Biochemical Assays, Blotting Techniques, Cell-Based Assays, Cell Biology, Cell Culture Techniques, Immunoassays, Immunochemistry, Immunofluorescence Microscopy, Immunology, In Vitro Assays, In Vivo Mouse Models, Molecular Biology, Neuroanatomy, Neurotrophins, Scientific Writing, Tissue Cultures

      Preferred Skills:

      Current Employees apply HERE

      Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

      US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

      Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

      As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

      EEOC Know Your Rights

      EEOC GINA Supplement

      We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another's thinking and approach problems collectively.

      Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

      U.S. Hybrid Work Model

      Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as "remote".

      San Francisco Residents Only:We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

      Los Angeles Residents Only:We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

      Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
      Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

      Employee Status:

      Regular

      Relocation:

      Domestic

      VISA Sponsorship:

      Yes

      Travel Requirements:

      10%

      Flexible Work Arrangements:

      Not Applicable

      Shift:

      Not Indicated

      Valid Driving License:

      No

      Hazardous Material(s):

      N/A

      Job Posting End Date:

      12/18/2025

      *A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFOREthe listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.


      Requisition ID:R370877

      PDN-a04c0a78-05f6-4e78-a2cf-25cb5c5c47b9

      About Merck

      At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities.

      Related Jobs

      Apply For This Job
      Associate Scientist, Post Doctoral Fellow, Neuroimmunology
      Merck
      West Point, PA
      Nov 7, 2025
      Full-time
      Your Information
      First Name *
      Last Name *
      Email Address *
      This email belongs to another account. Please use a diferent email address or Sign In.
      Zip Code *
      Password *
      Confirm Password *
      Create your Profile from your Resume
      By clicking the Apply button, you agree to the terms of use and privacy policy and consent to receive emails from us about job opportunities, career resources, and other relevant updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.
      Supercharge Your Resume with AI

      Boost your resume with AI-driven enhancements. The tool analyzes and refines your content, highlighting your strengths and tailoring it for maximum impact. Get personalized suggestions and apply improvements instantly to stand out in the job market.

      ©2025 International Association of Women.
      Powered by TalentAlly.