Research Assistant I-Dr. Bhuminder (GI Medicine)

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Organization:

GI Medicine

Job Summary:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology is seeking to recruit a full-time Research Assistant I/II to conduct in vitro and in vivo research in Singh lab (https://www.singh-lab.org/). The lab focuses on the role of receptor tyrosine kinases in normal human physiology and with relevance to multiple projects focused on colorectal cancer.

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Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, related fields, or related master’s     degree. 

• Previous experience is desired in a research lab demonstrating proficiency in described methods is desired

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, eager to learn new things, and work concomitantly on multiple projects

• Strong commitment to work ethics and an active contributor to a supportive work culture

• Effective organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills 

• Understanding and compliance to institute safety protocols Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and statistical programs like GraphPad Prism 

Using established protocols and under direct supervision, this individual will conduct experiments primarily using cancer cell lines, organoids grown in 2D (plastic, glass) and 3D (collagen, matrigel), and xenografts. Prominent responsibilities of this position include:

• General: (i) communicate effectively through written and verbal communication, (ii) maintain detailed and accurate records of daily activities, experiments, procedures, and results, and (iii) organize and plan tasks and experiments in advance. 

• Maintain a clean, organized laboratory area with functional and clean equipment.

• Maintain inventories (ordering, receiving, and storing supplies).

• Perform calculations (molarity, % solutions, serial dilutions) and prepare reagents.

• Follow experimental protocols and contribute to the design, execution, and technical troubleshooting of experiments and interpretation of results.

• Assist with project documentation and compliance with research protocols.

• Genetic manipulation of cancer cell lines to overexpress or remove genes/variants of interest (CRISPR-mediated knockout / shRNA-mediated knockdown). 

• Combinatorial drug treatments for cancer cells.

• Isolation of DNA and RNA and processing samples for downstream applications, including whole-exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, PCR, and routine sequencing analysis.

• Generation, maintenance, and drug treatment of cancer cell lines and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and xenografts (CDXs/PDXs).

• Follow approved experimental protocols, with animal welfare and health records maintained in compliance with Institute guidelines.

• Conducting biochemical assays e,g. immunostaining, immunoblotting, and confocal imaging of cell lines and tumor tissues.

 

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