Basic Scientist Assistant 1 - Blind Lab

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:

Diabetes/Endocrinology

Job Summary:

Basic scientists focus on high-level scientific research and development, investigative experiments, data analysis, and formal data presentation. This position may include the expectation of necessary skills to manage the day-to-day operations of the laboratory and its personnel.

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Department Summary:

The Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism has a rich tradition of clinical, investigative and training excellence. With over 70 faculty and staff members, the division participates in a wide range of clinical programs and clinical and basic science research. Training the next generation of physicians and scientists is one of our main missions and involves programs in Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine, as well as funded T32 and T35 training programs.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Perform laboratory experiments and produce competent and reproducible results to a high technical standard
• Devise research methods, prepare technical specifications, and specify laboratory test equipment and processes
• Analyze data, and interpret and present results with minimal faculty supervision
• Design experiments and implement and standardize new processes and procedures based on expert knowledge of literature and subject matter
• Maintain detailed documentation and write formal scientific reports suitable for publication
• Prepare and/or maintain samples and specimens
• Manage laboratory personnel
• Maintain and operate standard laboratory equipment, including centrifuges, pipetting machines, spectrometers, ELISA readers, as well as specialized equipment necessary to support the laboratory
• Perform mathematical calculations and generate relevant statistics to support scientific output
• Prepare materials suitable for institutional review of formal protocols and operating procedures with minimal faculty supervision

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 Relationships: Seeks to understand c