Senior Research Veterinarian - Houston DPF

California, US residents click here.

The job details are as follows:

Who we are

We are the first publicly-traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation. Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies; and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs.
 

United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) seeks to travel down the corridors of indifference to develop treatments for rare, deadly diseases. We were founded in 1996 by a family seeking a cure for their daughter’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Today, we have six FDA-approved therapies that treat PAH, pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. Our near-term pipeline seeks to develop additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis (PF).
 

The cure for end-stage life-threatening diseases like PAH, PH-ILD, PF, and many others is an organ transplant, but only a small percentage of donated organs are available to address the vast need. For this reason, we are working to create manufactured organs to address the shortage of kidneys, hearts, lungs, and livers available for transplant. We believe an unlimited supply of tolerable, transplantable organs will eliminate the transplant waiting list and cure end-stage organ diseases for which transplant is not currently an option.


Who you are

Are you a veterinarian with experience working with large animals? Do you want to be part of a collaborative team working in xenotransplantation? United Therapeutics is searching for a passionate and dedicated Senior Research Veterinarian to join our team at a new location in Texas.

The Senior Research Veterinarian will oversee the care, treatment and disposition of pigs in a designated pathogen free (DPF) barrier facility. This role plays a critical part in the performance of all veterinary procedures (surgeries, health surveillance, breeding, and necropsies) for the xenotransplantation program. The Senior Research Veterinarian will work independently and with Veterinary and Animal Technicians to coordinate the care of pigs, manage medical records, develop comprehensive herd and health plans, develop procedures and expectations for the care of pigs, develop comprehensive disease testing regimens to meet SOPs and clinical needs, lead training with personnel, author SOPs, lead USDA/AAALAC visits, analyze records of infectious disease testing, develop response plans for introduction of novel infectious disease agents to the barrier, and develop risk mitigation and recovery plans on a case by case basis.
 

• Oversee the collection and dissemination of diagnostic specimens for infectious diseases monitoring and use the results to provide real time evaluation of infectious disease control measures. This includes the diagnosis and treatment of animals for medical conditions, overseeing the comprehensive health management of pigs, and prescribing appropriate medication to ensure optimal animal welfare. Remain abreast of all relevant scientific literature.
• Contribute to the strategic planning and review of health assessments for animals entering the transplant stream, and approve completed health assessment documents as the Senior Research Veterinarian. Hold primary responsibility for the curation and approval of all medical records, weight data and preventive health measures.
• Perform routine and emergency surgeries as needed
• Lead the planning and directing for the initiation and nurturing of barrier pigs, guiding their development from birth to maturity and transplant. Also, responsible for the planning and collection of diagnostic samples from animals collected in the Arts Way modular. Develop, execute and interpret the infectious disease testing plan for barrier animals: use the data collected to support the ante-mortem examination.
• Develop on-the-job training for veterinary technicians and train veterinary and animal techs on animal care and veterinary procedures
• Maintain animal treatment records, ensuring accurate documentation of all veterinary interventions and animal health data. Lead the primary interpretation of all animal records.
• Humanely euthanize animals when necessary, with subsequent necropsy: use pathology reports to adjust barrier practices and strategies for optimum health of animals
• Support clinical operation activities, playing a crucial role in the planning and procurement of organs for transplant. Provide surgical monitoring and care to clinical