Senior Research Associate

Description

Date: December 2024

Title: Senior Research Associate (Laboratory Research)

Department: Biochemistry

School: Medicine

Location: W456

Supervisor Name and Title: Christopher Hubert, Assistant Professor

 

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Hubert lab utilizes patient-derived 3D tumor cultures and cutting-edge molecular, cellular, tissue engineering, and imaging methods to study the unique biology and therapeutic sensitivities of tumor cells in different tumor microenvironments. The Senior Research Associate will oversee research projects within the lab, providing scientific oversight, guidance to lab members, training, and lab management in the absence of the principal investigator. The Senior Research Associate will utilize a combination of tissue culture, molecular biology, mouse modeling, and imaging approaches to investigate the diverse biology of glioblastoma and tumor stem cells, as well as their response to potential therapies. The Senior Research Associate will assume a leadership role in the lab and will design and plan projects, oversee collaborations, supervise staff and students, manage animal models, and fully execute research projects with the aim of generating reliable scientific data for publications and competitive grant proposals. The Senior Research Associate will work closely with the PI and keep the PI informed of progress of research projects, assist in lab management and training, supervise junior lab members, and provide recommendations on experimental design and project plans. The Senior Research Associate will also present data and findings at lab, institutional, and scientific meetings, will prepare manuscripts, and will contribute preliminary data for grant proposals. This position will work with animals.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1.    Provide scientific oversight of all research projects, including data collection and maintenance. Establish and manage the day-to-day priorities of the research staff. (8%)

2.    With the principal investigator, establish goals and objectives for the efficient and timely completion of projects. Meet regularly with the principal investigator to review and set priorities, staff/student-related issues, and future research staff and planning. (5%)

3.    Coordinate experiments performed by other lab members, ensuring adequate resources, assisting with experimental design and analysis. Oversee progress of the research projects and provide regular progress reports to the PI; and provide input and recommendation to principal investigator regarding significant developments in research projects. Ensure the PI is informed about the results of lab members, and ensure the PI’s experimental strategy is explored by lab members and through independent experiments by the Senior Research Associate. (5%)

4.    Independently and with the principal investigator, design, plan, and execute research projects with the aim of understanding diverse brain tumor cell populations. Perform experiments and analysis of molecular, cellular, and phenotypic data (such as Western blotting, DNA and RNA isolation, PCR, FACS, in vivo studies using animals, cell proliferation and drug testing, Limiting Dilution Assays, etc.). Maintain accurate records of data and provide findings and recommendations to the PI based on analysis. (40%)

5.    Mentor and train lab staff and graduate students; oversee research work and ensure projects are being completed according to the research plan. This will involve teaching other members of the lab techniques and scientific discovery methods, including students and post-docs. Assist and teach both established and new research techniques to other lab members to facilitate their experiments. Coordinate trainings for lab members with the EHS and others, as needed. (5%)

6.    Present data and findings at laboratory meetings and scientific meetings, seminars, etc. Actively participate in scientific meetings and discussion of other lab members’ work. Prepare manuscripts, and contribute preliminary data for grant proposals.  (10%)

7.    Independently author research projects. Assemble data and make publication-quality figures from analyzed data. With the highest level of integrity and responsible conduct of research, participate in writing manuscri