Postdoctoral Scientist - Lysosomal Biology & Neuroprotective Mechanisms

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

Eli Lilly and Company is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scientist to join the Lilly Gene Therapy (LGT) organization, with a primary focus on lysosomal biology and its role in metabolic regulation and cellular protection. This role will investigate how the lysosome senses and adapts to shifting metabolic states — e.g., chronic inflammation, obesity, and pulmonary disease — and how restoration of lysosomal function confers protection against metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration, using multi-omics bioanalytical approaches across peripheral and CNS tissues.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in LC-MS–based lipidomics, metabolomics, and proteomics profiling, and in combination with transcriptomic and immunoproteomic/ligand-binding platforms will bring deeper understanding on the interactions between metabolic state and lysosomal health. This position offers hands-on involvement in preclinical mouse studies, collaboration with internal cross-functional teams, and scientific oversight of external CRO-led studies.

This postdoctoral role offers a unique opportunity to define the molecular mechanisms linking lysosomal-metabolic regulation to chronic inflammatory disease and neuroprotection within a leading pharmaceutical research organization. The position provides high-impact scientific exposure, cross-functional collaboration, and skill development at the intersection of lysosomal biology, multi-omics analytics, and translational biomarker science. Publication in peer-reviewed journals is expected.

Key Responsibilities:

Multi-Omics Bioanalysis of Lysosomal & Metabolic Function

• Lead the design, development, optimization, and execution of LC-MS–based, immunoproteomics, and ligand-binding (LBA) assays to quantify biomarkers of lysosomal health and degradative capacity, across peripheral, pulmonary, and CNS tissues.
• Generate and interpret data to characterize modules governing autophagy, cargo receptors, lysosomal biogenesis, and lysosomal lipid metabolism. Perform cross-validation of key hits in various in vitro and in vivo system.

Mechanistic Pathway Analysis

• Develop and apply working knowledge of the lysosomal pathway and its metabolic regulatory circuits to interpret generated data in a mechanistic and therapeutic context, with a focus on lysosomal biogenesis and nutrient-sensing signatures.
• Integrate lipidomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic readouts into an integrated "lysosomal health and degradation capacity" framework applicable across tissues, including lung and brain. Contribute mechanistic interpretation linking lysosomal lipid and pathway-level findings to protective mechanisms in chronic inflammation, including neurodegeneration and pulmonary disease.

In Vivo Study Design & Model-Based Investigation

• Collaborating with extended research team to design and execution in vivo and in vitro studies to characterize the role of lysosomal homeostasis in metabolic status, chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration.
• Apply sound experimental design principles; diagnose and troubleshoot complex technical challenges related to assay performance, tissue processing, or data variability.

Translational Biomarker Development

• Identify peripheral and tissue-specific biomarkers and explore their clinical relevance. Support validation of key lipid and protein markers against available human biofluid datasets to strengthen translational rationale for future clinical studies.
• Maintain meticulous experimental documentation, ensuring clear traceability, data integrity, and compliance with LGT proven methods.

Data Analysis, Visualization, and Team Communication

• Apply proven methods for lipidomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic datasets generated from in vitro and in vivo studies and collaborate effectively with the extended team, including biostats for rigorous multi-dimensional analysis.
• Generate clear, insightful data visualizations to support project teams and decision-making forums.
• Communicate findings effectively through prese