Research Specialist

Department

PME Simic Lab

About the Department

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME; https://pme.uchicago.edu/) was established in May 2019 and evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, which was founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. The PME’s rigorous academic and research programs are made possible through the University of Chicago’s unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is the first new school at the University of Chicago in three decades and the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering. In the next phase of growth as a School, the PME will continue to expand its team of world-class faculty researchers and empower students from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with faculty in cutting-edge facilities. The PME aims to bring solutions for urgent societal problems to the forefront, while training the next generation of scientific leaders and entrepreneurs.

Job Summary

The Simic group at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is seeking a Research Specialist interested in gaining experience in synthetic biology and cell engineering. Under the direction of Assistant Professor Milos Simic, the Specialist will help get the lab started and apply cutting-edge approaches to develop next-generation cell therapies, including smart immune cells designed to recognize and kill cancer cells or to treat other challenging diseases such as neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration (thesimiclab.com). The selected candidate will contribute to a team in the performance of laboratory and investigative procedures by conducting a variety of experimental techniques such as molecular cloning, cell culture (cell lines and primary cells), flow cytometry, and ELISA-like assays. The successful candidate will receive detailed technical training and will execute cellular assays to collect, analyze and compile data in support of our research. Additionally, the Specialist will be expected to assist with managing day-to-day lab operations, perform general lab duties, and be a positive lab citizen. This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated candidate seeking in-depth experience in cutting-edge biomedical research.

Responsibilities

• Performs various investigative procedures and operates a variety of instruments and other scientific equipment. Examples of equipment routinely used are plate readers for absorbance or luminescence-based assays, microscopes for live cell functional studies, PCR machines for gene amplification and cloning, and flow cytometers and cell sorters for single-cell analysis and isolation.
• Collaborates with internal and external students, scientists, researchers, programmers, and engineering teams.
• Contributes new ideas that can lead to new experiments and research grant proposals.
• Helps develop, design, and conduct research projects in accordance to plans.
• With moderate supervision, manages research-related duties and tasks.
• Documents research efforts and software adequately for sharing with the PI and lab members.
• Helps disseminate research results in high-impact journals and conferences.
• Conducts periodic training for current or new members of the research group.
• Recognizes abnormal or potentially abnormal results and communicates about them and sets up procedures to investigate and correct problems.
• Ensures project compliance with different policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.
• Complies with institution, state and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.
• Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.
• Maintains recruiting and scheduling research subjects; assisting with developing or amending study protocols; assisting with developing data collection tools; assisting with building databases; and providing general administrative support. Has general awareness in research techniques or methods, regulatory policies and procedures, and relevant scientific field.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as biology, immunology, chemistry, etc.

Experience: