Senior Technical Research Assistant - MRA PNE

Site: The McLean Hospital Corporation

 

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

 

This is a position for a Tissue Coordinator at the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC), a brain repository part of the NIH NeuroBioBank. The HBTRC is a centralized resource for the collection and distribution of human brain specimens for research. We receive brain donations from across the US and make tissue samples available to investigators across the world. This research is of critical importance in furthering our understanding of disorders of the nervous system, such as neurological, neurodevelopmental, and psychiatric disorders.


The following are a Tissue Coordinator main responsibilities:

1. Perform brain dissections during regular hours and off-hours

2. Prepare tissue samples for distribution to investigators, interacting with them as needed to ensure that the samples match their request. Coordinating with other NeuroBioBank tissue repositories to fulfill criteria of requested cohort.

3. Work with other Tissue Coordinators to maintain an accurate tissue inventory, tracking and storage maintenance of the frozen and fixed tissue inventory

4. Arrange for the annual preventative maintenance and calibration of equipment. Responsible for keeping the lab equipment clean and running optimally, upgrading equipment as needed, ordering supplies, and keeping the laboratory clean, neat, and orderly.

5. Responsible for keeping track of the laboratory’s production, and provide laboratory statistics for monthly departmental staff meetings, progress reports, and grant applications/renewals.

6. Participate in conducting visits to the HBTRC laboratories.

7. Off-hours brain donation coordination (remotely - carry HBTRC ‘on call’ phone and perform all procedures necessary to arrange for brain donation

8. Contribute to preparation and updates of standard operating procedures (SOPs) relevant to their responsibilities

9. All other duties as assigned

 


QUALIFICATIONS:

· Experience with histology, neuropathology and, particularly, neuroanatomy is strongly preferred for this position.

· Must be proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel. Must demonstrate attention to details and accuracy in data entry

· The candidate must be able to work independently, with minimal supervision.

· Must have exceptional interpersonal skills and work well within a team

· Requires basic understanding of HIPAA regulations, patient confidentiality and IT security. Must possess integrity to maintain confidentiality and respect for subjects’ right and individual need

· Experience with the medical environment, knowledge of clinical terms particularly related to psychiatry, neurology and pharmacology, experience related to clinical record use are strongly preferred.

· All McLean team members are expected to consistently demonstrate our values of integrity, compassion, respect, diversity, teamwork, excellence and innovation in their work activities and interactions.

 

Job Summary

Summary<br>Working under the supervision of a Senior Research Assistant, Manager or Principal Investigator and following established policies and procedures, provides assistance on research studies.<br><br>Does this position require Patient Care?<br>No<br><br>Essential Functions<br>-Monitor budget. <br>
-Participate in budget/grant preparation. <br>
-Training and orienting plus functions as a lead in a research setting or lab manager in a smaller lab. <br>
-Instructs others in highly specialized techniques. <br>
-Assists in the coordination of lab activities. <br>
-Orients and trains new personnel. <br>
-Independently performs non-routine highly specialized experimental procedures. <br>
-Participates in design and modification of research protocols. <br>
-Composes and may present sections of research reports and manuscripts. <br>
-Performs advanced data analysis using advanced statistical techniques. <br>
-Coordinates lab activities, as infection control, radiation safety, and other required training. <br>
-Supervises staff – responsible for hire, fire, performance evaluation and disciplinary action for staf