DESCRIPTION

The Department of Medicine (DOM) is the largest department within the UCSD School of Medicine and is responsible for fulfilling the teaching, research, and clinical missions of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The department employs approximately 500 salaried faculty, 168 academic appointees, 331 residents, fellow and postdocs and 479 staff personnel.

Under general supervision, the Lab Manager/Research Associate will independently conduct experiments, make observations, and keep detailed records of all aspects of experimental data related to research projects. The incumbent will independently perform molecular biological techniques in the development of plasmid and viral based gene transfer vectors and gene expression analyses (qRT-PCR and RNA-sequencing). Conduct procedures to carry out animal studies including breeding, injections, and maintaining and screening transgenic mouse colony. Perform in vivo fluorescent and bioluminescent imaging, necropsy, tissue trimming and histology. Incumbent will independently perform in vivo and in vitro assays, train new lab members, plan experiments, analyze data, and contribute to scientific papers. Incumbent will assist in data preparation and drafting of manuscripts assisting author or co-authoring scientific articles and some grant writing. Researching journal articles to find appropriate protocols and regulations for experiments. Adhere to laboratory environmental health and safety guidelines, including appropriate chemical waste and biological waste disposal. Incumbent will be responsible for laboratory management including the ordering and maintenance of lab equipment and reagents, monitoring lab expenditures/grant spending, and overseeing the maintenance and organizing of laboratory stocks and ordering supplies, including management of laboratory sample inventories. Incumbent will serve as the laboratory safety officer to ensure that safe work practices are followed as dictated by EH&S guidelines.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong theoretical knowledge in molecular biology and biochemistry or related field, or equivalent combination of experience and education with the ability to make advanced contributions to research projects at a conceptual level.

• Proven experience with all aspects of tissue culture including freezing, thawing, counting cells and splitting cultures. Demonstrated experience performing lentiviral transductions and live cell analyses by FACS.

• Proven skill in the operation and maintenance of various lab equipment such as confocal and quantitative fluorescent microscopes, centrifuges, nanodrop, IVIS imaging machine, and flow cytometer.

• Demonstrated experience in caring for and handling small lab animals (mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rabbits) and in administering medications and anesthesia to perform phlebotomy and minor surgical procedures on animals. Experience in Euthanizing small laboratory animals. Familiarity with the writing of Animal Subjects protocols and with the surgical procedures. Willingness and ability to work with rodents and/or other lab animals and/or infected samples.

• Advanced experience working with human tissues; tissue trimming, histology analysis, and knowledge in necropsy. Demonstrated experience performing mononuclear cell isolation by Ficoll density centrifugation.

• Experience with techniques that may be required in research protocols related to a specific lab. Demonstrated ability to read, interpret and apply protocols in conducting research. Demonstrated ability in following step-wise experimental protocols. Skill to troubleshoot adaptations of experimental protocols.

• Demonstrated experience working in and maintaining a sterile environment.

• Proven experience in the design, construction, production, purification, and use of viral gene transfer vectors, including adenoviral, lentiviral or retroviral vectors.

• Proven skill in accurate record keeping and ability to organize, analyze, and calculate data. Knowledge in basic math for maintaining ledgers, income and expenditure reports.

• Experience with the operation of a personal computer and software application, such as Access, MS Word and Excel. Knowledge to work with and learn new software for analysis.<