Principal Scientist
Cytokinetics
Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated computational scientist to lead translational biomarker discovery at the intersection of human genetics, multi-omics, and AI/ML. In this role, you will identify biomarkers that diagnose disease, predict how it progresses, and anticipate patient outcomes in conditions of impaired cardiac and skeletal muscle function. Bringing together genetic evidence, multi-omics profiling and rich clinical phenotypes, you will work out not only which patients are at risk, but why.
Job description
Partnering closely with experimental biologists and clinical research, you will carry insights from patients into discovery and from discovery back toward the clinic. This is a hands-on computational leadership role for a scientist excited to apply modern AI/ML to human data in muscle disease.
Responsibilities
- Integrate genomic, transcriptomics, proteomic and single cell data to trace how genetic variation drives molecular and cellular changes in cardiac and skeletal muscle disease
- Discover and validate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of disease onset, progression, and clinical outcomes using omics and longitudinal clinical data from biobanks and patient cohorts
- Develop and validate AI/ML methods linking molecular profiles with imaging and clinical phenotypes to define patient subgroups for precision medicine
- Investigate disease heterogeneity and genotype-phenotype discordance to uncover modifier pathways and generate mechanistic hypotheses for experimental follow up
- Lead translational applications of LLMs and agents (e.g., evidence synthesis, data curation) with appropriate benchmarking
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Human Genetics, Bioinformatics, or a related field with 6+ years of post-doctoral or industry experience
- Strong expertise in analyzing large-scale genomic datasets, including GWAS and sequencing data
- Deep expertise in transcriptomics, proteomics, or single-cell analysis with integration across data types
- Track record translating human molecular or phenotypic data into disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets or biomarker strategies
- Proficiency in R and/or Python, with expertise in study design, batch effects, confounding, longitudinal data and evaluating AI/ML methods
- Strong interest in applying AI tools, including LLMs and agents, to translational research (production experience not required) and ability to lead cross-functional projects and mentor scientists
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with population biobanks (e.g., UK Biobank, All of Us) or disease-specific cohorts
- Drug discovery experience including biomarker analysis, patient sample studies, or patient stratification
- Experience integrating genetic evidence with single cell or tissue-specific expression data
- Previous therapeutic area experience in cardiovascular and neuromuscular disease is strongly desired
- Experience prototyping LLM-assisted or agentic workflows
You don’t need to be an expert in every modality or tool. We value depth in a core area, breadth of thinking, and the initiative to generate evidence that changes decisions.
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Human Genetics, Bioinformatics, or a related field
- 6+ years of post-doctoral or industry experience
- Strong expertise in analyzing large-scale genomic datasets, including GWAS and sequencing data
- Deep expertise in transcriptomics, proteomics, or single-cell analysis with integration across data types
- Track record translating human molecular or phenotypic data into disease mechanisms, therapeutic targets or biomarker strategies
- Proficiency in R and/or Python
- Expertise in study design, batch effects, confounding, longitudinal data and evaluating AI/ML methods
- Strong interest in applying AI tools, including LLMs and agents, to translational research
- Ability to lead cross-functional projects and mentor scientists
Benefits
- Equity
- Stock options
- Restricted stock units
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- 401(k) Matching
- Learning stipends
- Wellness stipends
- Paid time off
Company overview
Cytokinetics, Incorporated is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in South San Francisco, California, specializing in muscle biology research and drug development. Founded in 1997 by leading scientists from Stanford, UCSD, and UCSF, the company focuses on discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors for debilitating diseases characterized by impaired or declining muscle function. With over 25 years of scientific expertise, Cytokinetics has built a robust pipeline targeting cardiovascular and neuromuscular conditions including heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company's innovative approach centers on directly targeting the sarcomere, the fundamental unit of muscle contraction, to develop potential treatments that may preserve and extend independence for patients. Cytokinetics operates as a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: CYTK) and has established itself as a leader in muscle biology with more than 115 publications, over 100 clinical trials, and hundreds of issued patents.