Research scientist with a Ph.D. in molecular biology and four years in industry gene-therapy research. Led capsid engineering work that produced an AAV variant with 5x improved muscle transduction, now in IND-enabling studies. Brings hands-on vector design, NGS-based screening and a steady record of shipping data that moves programs forward.
Experience
Research Scientist, Vector Engineering, Arbor Genomic Medicines (San Diego, CA)
Sep 2022 – Present
Designed and screened a 2M-variant AAV capsid library in mice, identifying a lead with 5x higher skeletal muscle transduction
Built an NGS barcode analysis pipeline in Python with a bioinformatician, cutting screen readout from 6 weeks to 10 days
Supervise 2 research associates and plan experiments across in vitro and in vivo studies
Co-inventor on 1 filed patent application and presenter at ASGCT 2025
Graduate Researcher, Molecular Biology, University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, CA)
Sep 2017 – Aug 2022
Discovered a splicing regulator controlling muscle stem cell quiescence, published as first author in Cell Reports
Secured an NIH F31 fellowship worth $135k and mentored 4 undergraduate researchers
Education
Ph.D. Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego (Sep 2017 – Aug 2022)
B.S. Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Rice University (Aug 2013 – May 2017)
A strong Research Scientist resume shows the questions you investigated, the methods and instruments you mastered, and the data, publications or products your work produced. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Education
Projects
Skills
Certifications
Length: One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Summary: Write two or three lines: your role, your strongest skills, and one result that proves them.
Skills to feature
Experimental design
Laboratory techniques and instrumentation
Statistical analysis (R, Python, GraphPad Prism)
Data integrity (ALCOA+)
GLP and GMP compliance
Method development and validation
Scientific writing and publishing
Grant writing
Literature review
Cross-functional collaboration
Example bullet points
Developed an LC-MS/MS method for 14 metabolites with under 6% CV, replacing two legacy assays and cutting run time by 40%
Co-authored 5 peer-reviewed papers, including a first-author study in Journal of Biological Chemistry cited 60+ times
Wrote the preliminary-data section of an NIH R01 renewal that secured $2.4M over five years
Tips from recruiters
Name the techniques, instruments and software you used hands-on (qPCR, HPLC, flow cytometry, ImageJ) because hiring managers screen for exact methods.
List publications, posters and patents in a short selected list and link to ORCID or Google Scholar rather than pasting a full CV.
For industry roles, translate research into outcomes such as programs advanced, methods transferred or batches released, not only papers.
Recommended templates
Academic (ATS-friendly): Scholarly CV with small-caps headings and rules
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
Research Scientist resume FAQ
What should a Research Scientist resume include?
A Research Scientist resume should show the questions you investigated, the methods and instruments you mastered, and the data, publications or products your work produced. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Education, Projects, Skills and Certifications. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
What is the best resume template for a Research Scientist?
Academic, Classic and Ivy work well for Research Scientist roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Research Scientist resume be?
One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Which skills should a Research Scientist put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Research Scientist roles are Experimental design, Laboratory techniques and instrumentation, Statistical analysis (R, Python, GraphPad Prism), Data integrity (ALCOA+), GLP and GMP compliance and Method development and validation.
How do I write strong Research Scientist resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as assay throughput, method precision (CV%) and turnaround time. For example: "Developed an LC-MS/MS method for 14 metabolites with under 6% CV, replacing two legacy assays and cutting run time by 40%."