FOCUS
Goldfinch is singularly focused on discovering and developing precision therapies for patients with kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease is a driver of mortality across age, race, and stage of disease progression, affecting over 1 in 9 people worldwide. It has emerged as a global epidemic and growing problem that places an enormous social and economic burden on patients, their families, and society.
Advances in kidney transplantation and dialysis over half a century ago extended life for patients with kidney failure, yet the current standard of care for patients with kidney disease remains inadequate, and there is an urgent need for new treatment options.
Recent breakthroughs in genetics and biology have generated an unparalleled understanding of the biological pathways that drive kidney disease. Goldfinch is uniquely positioned to translate these discoveries into new therapies that target the molecular causes of kidney disease.
The burden of kidney disease for patients and society
TEAM
Goldfinch brings together experts in the field and experienced leaders with a shared mission to pioneer new treatments for patients with kidney disease.
LEADERSHIP
Abbie Celniker, Ph.D.
Interim CEO
Neil Exter
Interim COO
Jean-Christophe Harmange, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery
Peter Mundel, M.D.
Senior Vice President of Biology
Maria Beconi, Ph.D.
Vice President of Pharmacology and Non Clinical Development
Thomas Tibbitts, Ph.D.
Vice President of Computational Discovery
Liron Walsh, M.D.
Vice President of Translational and Clinical Nephrology
Thomas Martz
Director of Corporate Development
FOUNDERS AND ADVISORS
Our Founders and Advisors are world-renowned scientists and clinicians at the forefront of kidney biology, genetics, and genomics.
Joseph Bonventre, M.D., Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School, MIT, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Anna Greka, M.D., Ph.D.
The Broad Institute, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Friedhelm Hildebrandt, M.D.
Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital
Daniel MacArthur, Ph.D.
The Broad Institute, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Peter Mundel, M.D.
Goldfinch BioStefan Somlo, M.D.
Yale School of Medicine
APPROACH
Goldfinch is integrating breakthroughs in kidney genetics and biology to identify new therapeutic targets and advance first-in-class drug candidates to treat patients with kidney disease.
Goldfinch’s Product Engine will industrialize the integration of genetics and kidney biology and confer a differentiated ability to identify, validate, and pursue novel therapeutic targets for kidney disease.
PROGRAMS
Goldfinch’s therapeutic programs are underscored by strong genetic validation and a deep familiarity of the biological pathways that cause disease. Our initial efforts are focused on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS (FSGS)
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare kidney disorder, is a histopathologic diagnosis characterized by severe scarring of the kidney's filtering units, or glomeruli, leading to an excess of essential proteins spilling into the urine, called proteinuria. FSGS is a leading cause of kidney failure, and patients with diagnosed FSGS are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke and premature death.
There are currently no FDA approved treatments for FSGS. Existing treatments are non-specific, do not alter the progression of disease and carry significant toxicities.
Goldfinch is leading the charge to develop treatments targeting the molecular causes of FSGS to drastically improve the lives of patients suffering from this devastating, life-shortening condition.
POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE (PKD)
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common single gene diseases, affecting more than 600,000 people in the US and 12 million worldwide. The disease is passed on from parent to child, with each child of an affected parent having a 1-in-2 chance of inheriting the disorder, which does not skip generations.
ADPKD patients develop fluid filled cysts in both kidneys that increase in number and size over time, culminating in end stage kidney disease in half of affected individuals by middle age. ADPKD commonly causes liver cysts which arise from bile ducts and can sometimes grow large enough to cause symptoms as well. In the United States, 1 in 20 individuals either on dialysis or with a kidney transplant has ADPKD.
There are no FDA approved therapies specifically targeting ADPKD and no means by which to alter the course of the disease.
Goldfinch is leveraging scientific discoveries based on the known genes that cause ADPKD to discover treatments to alter the course of ADPKD and drastically improve the lives of patients suffering from this chronic and debilitating disease.
It is the patients with kidney disease who will lead us to the understanding of pathways and targets that will drive transformative drug development. To accomplish this, we will partner with patients to build the world’s most comprehensive registry of individuals with molecularly defined kidney disease.
Goldfinch is assembling a database of genetic, genomic and clinical information from consented patients who have provided thousands of DNA samples and anonymized clinical records. Building off of the studies of our founders and partners, we will deeply study DNA and correlate findings with clinical data. We will then use novel computational tools to mine for evidence of the DNA variants that increase risk for kidney disease and suggest new ways to treat and prevent it.
CAREERS
At Goldfinch, we are pioneering a new approach to discover and develop therapeutics for kidney disease that is unprecedented.
Where others see risk, we see opportunity to make an impact and redefine the state of care for patients with kidney disease. We recognize the importance of collaboration, and strive to work alongside patients, clinicians and other partners to empower patients and develop treatments for conditions where no approved therapies exist.
We’re looking for teammates who relish the challenge, and are compelled to leave a positive mark on the lives of colleagues and patients alike.
If this sounds like the community you want to grow with, we invite you to explore our current career opportunities below.
If you would like to be considered for an opportunity at Goldfinch Bio, please submit your CV with the title of the position in the subject line to careers@goldfinchbio.com.
JOIN THE RENAISSANCE
Early Development Project Manager
The Role
Goldfinch is seeking a hands-on individual to become an integral member of the R&D team, contributing to the overall management of our early development programs. This person will play an instrumental role in organizing and advancing critical R&D programs for Goldfinch with approximately 75% of time spent on internal project management and approximately 25% of time spent on external study coordination.
Major Responsibilities
- In partnership with the Program and departmental leaders, manage activities including program planning and milestones tracking, meeting management/minutes, and internal reporting.
- Ensure coordination of activities and deliverables across all functions.
- Develop and implement program management best practices and associated tools.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to develop and manage the program budgets, including resource tracking and scenario planning.
- Ensure communication flow between internal project teams, founders and other outside collaborators to maximize scientific outcomes and progress.
- Coordinate external study with CROs as needed.
Requirements and Qualifications
- EDUCATION
- BS degree required, MS or PhD in the sciences preferred.
- REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- 3-5 years of relevant biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience (ideally as a bench scientist).
- At least 1-3 years’ experience in project management.
- Experience managing projects across discovery and preclinical programs; experience coordinating cross functional activities through IND submission preferred.
- Operational experience and familiarity with the drug development process, including function-level activities and external regulatory requirements.
- Experience setting and maintaining budgets.
- KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Ability to influence across multiple functions and levels, effectively work with different personalities and styles, and efficiently prioritize activities.
- Excellent communication skills; comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
- Knowledge of project management tools (Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint).
Principal/Senior Scientist, Pharmacology and Translational Research
The Opportunity
We’re seeking a highly motivated and technically excellent Principal Scientist with a strong background in pharmacology and translational research to join our Pharmacology and Nonclinical Development Department to contribute to building our discovery pipeline for renal diseases. The successful candidate will focus on the development of in vitro and in vivo pharmacology models and on the identification of novel biomarkers to advance the Goldfinch Bio pipeline. Responsibilities include setting up the pharmacology infrastructure, strategy and vision for kidney diseases to help advance the Goldfinch Bio pipeline.
Major Responsibilities
- Develop in vitro assays and implement in vivo models to evaluate the PK/PD and efficacy of pipeline compounds. PK/PD relationship, and novel biomarkers to characterize molecules for potential therapeutic effects.
- Develop strategy and scientific approach to identify novel diagnostic, prognostic, and pharmacodynamic biomarkers to enable scientific driven go/no go decisions for programs to assist in program progression.
- Implement the strategy by establishing and managing external research collaborations.
- Write protocols, evaluate and analyze data, write reports and present data-driven recommendations to project teams to enable scientific driven go/no go decisions for programs.
- Participate in and lead cross-functional teams to support preclinical drug discovery and development.
- Prepare, review and deliver high quality scientific presentations for internal/external use.
- Commitment to help the team achieve deliverables and meet aggressive timelines.
- Keep abreast of innovative technologies and their relevance with the aim of bringing therapies to patients faster or more efficiently.
Requirements and Qualifications
- EDUCATION
- PhD in Pharmacology, Biochemistry or related field.
- REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- Minimum of 8 years post-degree research in an industry setting.
- Strong publication record.
- Extensive experience in cellular and biochemical science such as standard molecular biology and protein biochemistry techniques and/or mass spectrometry technologies for biomarker identification is required.
- Demonstrated ability to integrate pharmacology concepts.
- Experience managing CROs.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and proven success working in matrix environments.
- Experience with regulatory submissions of orphan drugs is a plus.
- KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Hands on experience in the development and validation of biomarker assays in the preclinical and clinical setting required.
- Strong leadership and evidence of strategic scientific thinking.
- Effective managerial skills and the ability to lead independent scientists with different skill sets.
- Expertise in cutting edge assay technologies and proven assay troubleshooting skills.
Senior Research Associate, Biology
The Opportunity
The Senior Research Associate will develop, implement and execute in vivo and in vitro assays required for the advancement of high priority projects and Goldfinch Bio's Product Engine.
Major Responsibilities
- Development and implementation of a diverse set of cellular assays used to support lead discovery
- In partnership with scientific leadership design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret biological experiments in support of program objectives
- Interact and communicate results and conclusions to the biology team and cross-functional project teams
Requirements and Qualifications
- B.S. or M.S. in cell and/or molecular biology or pharmacology
- 3 to 5 years of industry experience
- Experience developing cellular assays used to drive early-stage programs towards candidate selection, including miniaturization and automation of high-content imaging, as well as protein and RNA assays
- Target validation experience with ability to assay target biology with genetic perturbation techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 and shRNA, in addition to the construction of stable cell lines expressing genes of interest
- Demonstrated ability to thrive in a team environment
- Strong experimental background and a rigorous, analytical approach to problem solving
- Familiarity with high-content phenotypic screening
- Experience with visualization software and associated analysis of rich cellular datasets
- Some weekend work will be required
Lead Statistical Geneticist/Computational Biologist
The Opportunity
At the very heart of Goldfinch’s effort to bring precision medicines to kidney disease is our Patient Registry. Through global collaborations and partnerships, we are bringing together patients with FSGS/proteinuria worldwide and building a comprehensive data warehouse containing many thousands of whole genome sequences from patient samples, coupled to deep longitudinal clinical profiles.
Major Responsibilities
- We seek a statistical geneticist or biostatistician who is well-versed in analyzing large sets of human genomic and transcriptomic data of complex phenotypes. This lead position is central to the mission of our company and on our critical path to success in the clinic, which will depend on our ability to translate human genetic discoveries in kidney disease into novel therapeutic targets. The individual in this role will work very closely with the heads of biology, preclinical, clinical and computational biology, as well as with our academic founders.
- Using samples obtained through collaborations and partnerships, this individual will help design a comprehensive clinico-genomics data warehouse of the highest quality. She/he will develop rigorous quality control procedures for whole genome sequences, transcriptomic (RNAseq) data, and longitudinal clinical profiles, and lead studies leveraging best-practice statistical approaches to explore the association of genetic variants with onset and progression of disease with the goal of identifying novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Moreover, she/he will use large-scale transcriptomic data sets from patient tissue to identify gene expression changes associated with disease state which may be useful as clinical biomarkers.
- The sheer volume of the data generated, and potential impact on a profoundly underserved patient population, makes this an exciting opportunity for a motivated statistical geneticist who wishes to apply the results of genetic investigation to support the discovery of novel precision medicines and lead a renaissance in the treatment of kidney disease.
Requirements and Qualifications
- EDUCATION
- Ph.D. or M.D., Ph.D. in Human Genetics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics or related field.
- REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- 2-5 years’ post-degree experience in an academic or industrial setting preferred, but candidates at all levels will be considered.
- KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Solid foundation in statistics and genetics.
- Experience using large-scale phenotype and genetic data.
- Knowledge of sequence alignment and variant calling pipelines (BWA, STAR, GATK, etc)
- Experience using clinical data, electronic medical records, and laboratory data for analysis of complex phenotypes.
- Experience with RNAseq data analysis and eQTL studies a plus.
- Knowledge of statistical genetics software (PLINK/SCAT/GAVA).
- Experience using statistical software (R/MATLAB/SAS).
- Programming/Scripting skills (Perl/Python/Shell/Java/Linux).
- Machine learning experience a plus.
- General knowledge of Cell Biology.
- Ability to work as part of a highly collaborative team.
Principal or Senior Scientist
The Opportunity
Goldfinch Bio is looking for a highly qualified scientist to assist in setting up the infrastructure and build the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic (DMPK) group in this startup biotech. This position reports to the Vice President of Pharmacology and Non Clinical Safety.
Major Responsibilities
- Set up the DMPK infrastructure, strategy and vision for Goldfinch Gio.
- Lead DMPK scientific initiatives to help advance the pipeline.
- Interact and collaborate with scientists across all disciplines in the organization.
- Independently or working with CROs, design protocols, process data and perform calculations, and write reports. Write and review relevant sections of regulatory documents.
- Design series or compound-specific DMPK strategies, and identify key DMPK studies that can be conducted to have impact on the progress of a drug in development.
- Critically review, interpret, communicate and summarize DMPK and bioanalytical data.
- Keep abreast of innovative technologies and their relevance with the aim of bringing therapies to patients faster.
Requirements and Qualifications
- EDUCATION
- PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry or Pharmacology with specific training in DMPK.
- REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- 7 – 15 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.
- KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- In depth understanding and with direct hands-on experience, with most models and assays used in DMPK, and corresponding applications, advantages and limitations.
- Expertise managing CROs, GLP guidelines, bioanalysis, and regulatory guidelines.
- Demonstrated ability to perform PK calculations, double check calculations performed by CROs, troubleshoot issues as they arise.
- Hands on experience with LC-MS/MS technology, and with bioanalytical work. Expertise in reviewing data, double checking calculations, proof reading documents.
- Ability to set forth strategic DMPK paths for compounds in different stages of development.
- Familiarity with regulatory submission process for orphan drugs.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and proven success working in matrix environments.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Please do not forward any agency resumes. Goldfinch Bio is not responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited.
Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.