Research Assistant I-PMI

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

PMI Molecular Pathogenesis

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
A laboratory in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology seeks a curious, motivated and diligent Research Assistant I or II to work on patient-based immunology projects. The lab seeks to understand genetic drivers of immunological diseases by identifying rare gene variants in affected children and studying how they impact the immune system. This is a research lab-based position that will involve both performing experimental work at the bench and also supporting other lab members with their projects.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
 

- BSc in microbiology/immunology, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology or similar area

- organized, reliable, attention to detail

- strong communication skills

- willingness to learn and master a variety of techniques at the bench

Not required, but ideal candidates will:

- have experience with some of the following techniques: DNA extraction, PCR, cloning, cell culture, plasmid preparation, flow cytometry, western blotting, ELISA, microscopy.

- be proficient, or enthusiastic to learn data analysis and visualization skills using software such as MS Excel, GraphPad Prism, and R.

- commit to a minimum of 2 years of full-time employment. Those who wish to pursue medical school or a PhD in the long term are welcome.

We offer a dynamic and collaborative research environment, have opportunities for authorship and presentation of your work, and support diversity in science. You will receive lots of mentorship and will gain skills applicable across many fields of science and medicine. Recent graduates with some relevant lab experiences are encouraged to apply.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement. Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements. Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/ work teams.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relation