PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for laboratory and animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of husbandry, veterinary, state-of-the-art technology, and pre-clinical scientific services. LASP also provides primary support to the Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Initiative to address the need for validated, scalable, and reproducible organoid-based Novel Alternative Methods (NAMs) in biomedical research. Our team provides technical infrastructure, operational integration, and specialized expertise to drive the development and optimization of organoid models of normal (non-cancerous) human tissues derived from a wide range of tissue types and donor sources. POSITION OVERVIEW The Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Center is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Scientist II to join the Cardiac Tissue Engineering Laboratory, directed by Dr. Aitor Aguirre. The NIH SOM Initiative aims to advance human organoid technologies by establishing validated, scalable, and reproducible organoid-based New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for biomedical research. The initiative focuses on developing physiologically relevant models of normal human tissues, with an emphasis on standardization, quality control, and broad applicability across research and translational settings. The successful candidate will play a leading scientific and technical role in the development, optimization, and validation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac organoid platforms. Our laboratory integrates stem cell biology, cardiac developmental biology, tissue engineering, and advanced functional phenotyping to generate multicellular cardiac models that reproduce key structural, cellular, and physiological features of the human heart. A central responsibility of this position will be to establish robust and reproducible methodologies for cardiac organoid production and characterization, including quantitative standards for organoid identity, maturation, quality, and function across multiple iPSC lines, donors, and experimental batches. The Scientist II will independently lead defined research activities, develop and validate new experimental methodologies, coordinate collaborative projects, and contribute to the scientific and operational development of the SOM Cardiac Laboratory. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AND OPPORTUNITITES The SOM Cardiac Tissue Engineering Laboratory offers a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment dedicated to advancing human organoid technologies and biomedical innovation. The successful candidate will contribute to pioneering research, develop cutting-edge technologies, establish standards for cardiac organoids, and generate high-impact scientific work. We seek highly motivated, creative, and collaborative individuals passionate about breakthrough science and advancing human disease modeling, drug discovery, and translational research. KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES The Scientist II position in the Cardiac Lab within the SOM Center will: Independently design, develop, optimize, and validate experimental methods to generate human iPSC-derived cardiac organoids, emphasizing reproducibility, scalability, and physiological relevance. Lead research projects focused on cardiac organoid development, cellular composition, tissue organization, maturation, and physiological characterization. Establish and implement standardized operating procedures (SOPs), quality-control metrics, and acceptance criteria for iPSC culture, differentiation, cardiac organoid production, and functional assessment. Develop and validate quantitative assays to characterize cardiac organoid morphology, viability, cellular identity, contractility, electrophysiology, calcium handling, and molecular phenotypes. Apply advanced cellular, molecular, imaging, and computational approaches, including microscopy, transcriptomics, high-content imaging, and functional phenotyping, to evaluate cardiac organoid quality and performance. Provide scientific and technical guidance to laboratory personnel. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across the SOM Initiative to integrate experimental, imaging, molecular, and functional datasets into comprehensive organoid characterization and validation frameworks. Contribute to laboratory research planning, experimental prioritization, scientific reporting, peer-reviewed publications, presentations, and development of new research methodologies. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS To be considered for this position, you must minimally meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below: Possession of a PhD degree from an accredited college or university according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency. In addition to the educational requirement, a minimum of two (2) years of relevant postdoctoral experience. Must possess basic Microsoft Office skills. Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Candidates with these desired skills will be given preferential consideration: PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Stem Cell Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution. Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, analyze, and troubleshoot complex biomedical research experiments. Strong scientific communication, organizational, and collaborative skills. Extensive hands-on experience with human pluripotent stem cell culture, directed differentiation, and/or three-dimensional organoid systems. Demonstrated expertise in cardiovascular biology, cardiac development, cardiac tissue engineering, stem cell biology, or regenerative medicine. Electrophysiology knowledge is a plus. Experience developing and optimizing complex cell culture protocols, multicellular tissue models, or functional biological assays. Experience with cardiac functional characterization methods, including electrophysiology, optical voltage mapping, calcium imaging, contractility measurements, or related physiological assays. Proficiency with molecular and cellular characterization techniques, including immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, and transcriptomic analysis. Familiarity with single-cell RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, high-content imaging, quantitative image analysis, or multimodal data integration. Experience mentoring junior researchers, coordinating scientific projects, or contributing to multidisciplinary research teams. Strong record of scientific productivity, including peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations, and contributions to collaborative research. Knowledge of computational approaches, machine learning, or AI-assisted analysis of complex biological datasets is advantageous. Candidates with demonstrated scientific independence and expertise in stem cell-derived tissue models, cardiovascular research, or advanced tissue engineering are particularly encouraged to apply. JOB HAZARDS This position is subject to working with or has the potential for exposure to infectious material, requiring medical clearance and immunizations.