Laboratory Research Analyst

Department
 

BSD IPP - Lab Research

About the Department
 

The newly created Institute for Population and Precision Health (IPPH), located in the Biological Sciences Division, will integrate a wide spectrum of factors such as human health behaviors, environmental factors, social and economic factors, policies and genetic determinants of health, into studies focused on the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the maintenance of wellness. Leveraging and integrating the University of Chicago’s considerable institutional strength in population science with research spanning diverse fields such as genetic medicine, cancer epidemiology, microbiome, and epigenomics, the Institute will have the common goal of improving human health outcomes. Another major goal of the Institute will be to develop a new multidisciplinary training program to equip researchers with emerging tools and methods to conduct precision health research within a population health framework. Our faculty lead research projects in biostatistics, epidemiology and health services research and participate in interdisciplinary teams with faculty in other departments to address complex problems in health and healthcare, in our communities and around the globe. This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.

Job Summary
 

The Laboratory Research Analyst will perform routine assignments related to scientific research projects in a lab setting. The position will be required to process biological samples, maintain and order supplies, and perform basic laboratory techniques and lab-oriented calculations.

This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.

Responsibilities

• Biological sample processing including blood, stool, urine, saliva and other tissues.

• Nucleic acid extraction, quantification, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiments on Luminex and MiSeq and other platforms as needed.

• Maintains and orders supplies.

• Required to work on weekends and be flexible for work hours depending on workload and need.

• Respond to emergency calls (e.g. freezer alarm), shipment after office hours.

• Performing basic laboratory techniques and basic lab-oriented calculations.

• Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project.

• Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.

• Installs, sets up and performs experiments; interacting with students and other laboratory staff under the direction of the principal investigator.

• 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.

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Work Experience:

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

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, biology, or related science.

Experience:

• One year of relevant research experience.

• Experience in biological sample processing, ELISA, Luminex assay, Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) purification, Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation, PCR, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), high throughput genotyping and gene expression microarrays, next-gen sequencing library preparations.

​Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge in relevant scientific fields.

• Knowledge of research techniques or methods.

• Knowledge of regulatory policies and procedures.

• Analytical skills.

• Problem-solving skills.

• Attention to detail.

• Organizational skills.

• Verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability t