Research Assistant I - Allergy, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine

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 diverse 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 recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your diversity of culture, thinking, learning, and leading 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:

Allergy, Pulmonary and Critica

Job Summary:

Provide, under direct supervision, support for specified research projects; collect, assess, and communicate data/results. Assist in general laboratory operation and inventory.

Department Summary:

Our mission is to promote multidisciplinary science and training among investigators across fields and career stages to drive clinically meaningful advances in our understanding of sepsis and critical illness. The major focus of this laboratory is to define mechanisms of lung and other organ injury in critical illnesses such as sepsis. We utilize translational methods including primary human cells, animal models, and the ex vivo human lung.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Under supervision, run experiments, assays, and record results
• Read and follow experimental protocols (May include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.)
• Compile and communicate results to supervisor
• Follow University safety protocols (may include use of combustibles, radioactivity, toxic material, and/or carcinogenics)
• Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions
• Prepare and operate equipment in experimental procedures
• May include blood gas analyzer, centrifuge, pH meter, spectrophotometer, autoclave, scintillation counter, electrophoresis unit, analytical balance, etc.
• Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and university guidelines.
• Ensure Laboratory is prepared for experiments
• Maintain inventories,
• Maintain sterile conditions as required
• Prepare reagents
• Clean equipment.

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Biorepository

This position provides support for sample procurement. Understand and follow protocols for sample collection. Biospecimen processing and storage procedures. Preparing samples for shipping. Quality Assurance. Quality Compliance. Maintain inventories. Accurately log specimens in database. Perform packaging and ships study specimens (blood, tissue, etc.) to the sponsor or laboratory in accordance with sponsor and shipping guidelines and regulations, maintaining appropriate documentation. This position will also assist in other laboratory and research functions, including daily laboratory operations

Data Management

Must be familiar with working with EMRs such as EPIC to review patient charts and analyze data for disease progression and cancer staging. Performs data collection/entry and participates in data analysis for studies. Coordinates technical and data management duties in support of various research projects.

Prepare reports for analysis of research data. Collect, organize research data.

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 resource