Research Associate - Open Rank

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Principal Investigator (PI) or designee, the Research Associate provides operational support to the laboratory. The Research Associate will perform research experiments as defined by the PI.

This is an open-rank posting (there are 4 levels of Research Associate) - candidates will be hired into the level commensurate with their experience.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Research Associate I:

Perform laboratory experiments and may be responsible for a single research project.
• Utilize all software relevant to experiment and equipment used.
• Interpret data, form conclusions and decide on next steps under the direction of the PI or designee.
• Maintain accurate records, may modify protocols with the approval of the PI or designee.
• Review literature, publications and grants relevant to assigned projects.
• Record results according to established lab, sponsor & university protocol
• Assist with performing data analysis and/or mathematical computations.
• Maintain a detailed lab notebook according to lab practice.
• Present findings at lab/group meetings
• Monitor laboratory supply levels and order as noted.
• Prepare and label buffers, media, solutions, etc.
• Assist with and comply with all safety regulation and infection control standards.
• Train on IACUC, IRB, EHS, Radiation safety protocols
• Comply with all applicable state, federal university, and sponsor policies and agreements.
• Provide support with identifying problems and challenges, propose resolutions, implement appropriate solutions.
• Provide support with drafting standard operation procedures in compliance to EHS regulation specific for the lab.
• Perform other duties as required.

Research Associate II:

Duties noted above plus:

• May assist with the training of new lab personnel.
• Provide support with drafting standard operation procedures in compliance to EHS regulation specific for the lab.
• May assist with drafting manuscript sessions.

Research Associate III:

Duties noted above plus:

• Perform complex laboratory experiments and may be responsible for one or more independent research projects.
• Perform in-depth data analysis and/or mathematical computations.
• Compile and analyze data and present it in a format suitable for publication according to PI specifications.
• May oversee laboratory supply levels and order as needed; negotiate with suppliers to optimize available resources.
• Monitor laboratory equipment service contracts and monitor maintenance on laboratory equipment.
• May manage general operations of the laboratory, including lab personnel, procedures, and projects.
• May create new protocols and/or modify defined protocols, as necessary, and with the approval of the PI.
• Prioritize and perform several tasks or procedures simultaneously with attention to detail.
• Perform duties and experiments with independence.
• Provide training of new lab personnel.
• May monitor laboratory spending in accordance with budget guidelines provided by PI or designee.
• May assist with budget and/or operational aspects of grant and contract funding.

Research Associate IV:

Duties noted above plus:

• This position will contribute significantly to the management of the research program and will be involved in multiple aspects of the research projects and lab maintenance activities.
• Independently design and perform multiple complex laboratory experiments.
• Interpret data, form conclusions, and decide on next steps with a high degree of independence.
• Maintain laboratory supply levels and order as noted.
• Manage laboratory equipment service contracts and coordinate maintenance on laboratory equipment.
• Monitor and enforce all safety regulations and infection control standards.
• Identify and write standard operation procedures in compliance to EHS regulation specific for the lab
• Train on IACUC, EHS, Radiation safety protocols
• Manage daily operations of the laboratory, including lab personnel, procedures, and projects.
• Identify problems and challenges, propose resolutions, implement appropriate solutions.
• Develop and implement new protocols and/or modify defined protocols, as necessary, and with the approval of the PI
• Mentor and train lab personnel on proper lab conduct and techniques.
• Manage laboratory spending in accordance with budget guidelines provided by PI or designee.
• Assist with budget and/or operational aspects of grant and contract proposals.
• Negotiate with vendors to optimize available resources.
• Contribute independently to writing sections for manuscripts and grants.
• Direct the activities of research support staff.
• Perform other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Research Associate I

• Bachelor's degree in Biological or Natural Science, or equivalent experience
• Basic understanding of lab safety and protocols
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products
• Ability to analyze data in a quantitative and objective manner.
• Ability to work in a team environment.

Research Associate II

• Requirements noted for RA I plus:
• 18 months of relevant research experience with a Bachelor's Degree in Biological or Natural Science or 0 years with a related Master's Degree.

Research Associate III

• Requirements noted for RA I plus:
• 3+ years of relevant research experience with a Bachelor's Degree in Biological or Natural Science or 1 year relevant research experience with a related Master's Degree

Research Associate IV

• Requirements noted for RA I plus:
• 5+ years of relevant research experience with a Bachelor's Degree in Biological or Natural Science or 3+ years relevant research experience with a related Master's degree.

The Landers Lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (https://www.umassmed.edu/landerslab/) has a research associate position open in gene modulation therapy for ALS, Parkinson's disease and other related neurodegenerative diseases. These include gene suppression (e.g. antisense oligonucleotides activating RNAse H), gene augmentation (small activating RNAs), and gene editing (e.g. gene editing, base editing, splice modification). Our explicit goal is to develop novel technologies to advance therapeutics for numerous human diseases rapidly from pre-clinical studies to pilot studies.

Candidates should be creative, highly organized, hard-working, and motivated to respond to changes within the rapidly evolving field of gene therapy. Applicants must also work independently and coordinate multiple projects, concurrently. Strong writing, verbal, and interpersonal skills are required. We offer excellent training opportunities and a competitive salary depending on experience and track record. If you have any of the above attributes and skill sets, and believe you are a good fit for our research program.

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Related Discipline.
• Skilled in conventional molecular methods such as quantitative methods for qualitative and quantitative analysis of gene expression (qPCR, ddPCR, and Western blotting), gene cloning;
• Experience culturing neurogenic cell lines;
• Some experience in culturing and differentiation of human iPSC to neurons is preferred;
• Experience with cell culture and molecular biology techniques
• Experience with growing and differentiating iPSC to neurons is preferred
• Experience with developing therapeutic oligonucleic acids; understanding aspects of oligonucleic acid synthesis and purification;
• Experience with transcriptomic approaches including bulk RNA-Seq, scRNA-Seq, RNA isolation and quantitation and bioinformatic analysis of data;
• Ability to compile and analyze data using standard statistical methods.

Interested applicants should submit the following materials via email to Susan Jacobs (susan.jacobs@umassmed.edu) and John Landers (john.landers@umassmed.edu): a cover letter describing current research activities and your interest in this position, a current CV (including publications), and contact information for three references.