Senior Research Assistant

Title

Sr Research Asst

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.

SUMMARY

Provides supervision, special training to technical personnel and/or highly technical work in medical and related research projects.

CORE VALUES

Caring Behaviors

• Courtesy: Is respectful and courteous to each other at all times.
• Friendliness/Teamwork: Promotes and rewards teamwork and inclusiveness; is sensitive to the concerns of our patients and our co-workers.

Integrity Behaviors

• Reliability: Communicates frequently, honestly and openly.
• Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for practicing our values.
• Safety: Models safe behavior (wears badge and personal protective equipment, washes hands, and keeps work area clean and orderly); Notices a safety concern or emergency, understands role and uses proper procedures to report it; Mitigates risk to the institution through sound business practices; Demonstrates ethical and personal responsibility in work and behavior

Discovery Behaviors

• Responsiveness: By his/her actions, creates an environment of trust; Encourages learning, creativity and new ideas.
• Personal Leadership/Self-Initiative: Helps others to identify and solve problems; Seeks personal growth and enables others to do so.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Research Design and Implementation -Responsible for providing laboratory services, tissue culture, processing research samples, and/or cataloging samples as required. Interacts with the principal investigators, postdoctoral fellows and other research personnel in communicating experimental design and results.
-Retrieves, maintains, and catalogs specimen stocks from outside reference laboratories.
-Receives human tissue and fluid specimen in inpatient services and outpatient clinic.
-Separates serum, plasma, peripheral blood leukocytes and tumor cells.
-Purifies leukocytes and tumor cell populations using ficoll density gradients and immunoaffinity techniques.
-Uses aseptic techniques and biosafety measures.
-Must possess good manual dexterity. This requires sitting for long periods of time as well as moving around the lab to work different equipment
-Maintains and establishes tissue culture cell lines which require good sterile techniques and the ability to observe and identify cell changes under the microscope.
-Determine cell counts on the hemocytometer and cell viability.
-Prepares sterile media.
-Monitors and shelves tissue culture supplies to ensure efficient functioning.
-Prepare cells for cryogenic storage and reestablishment by the use of small vials, dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
-The above requires using the microscope for long periods, working for long periods with hands extended under a flow hood and lifting cases of supplies or up to 10 liters on a cart.
-Assists in other laboratory activities as needed.

Research, Data Analysis and Other Lab Duties -Monitors work flow as it pertains to the need for supplies, equipment maintenance and stock solutions.
-Takes inventory and orders supplies need for the lab.
-Performs related work as required.
-Works with and trains any new Research Assistants as they are added to the lab.

Laboratory Equipment and Maintenance -Performs routine maintenance on ultra low freezers, liquid nitrogen, CO2 and water levels. Should be able to maintain equipment such as high speed centrifuges, pH meters and microfuges.
-Manually operates and maintains the lab equipment.
-Visually reads equipment operation manuals and procedure manuals when necessary.
-Must be able to lift and carry items up to 20-25 lbs. and carry or move from one area of the lab to another by using a roller cart.

Other duties as assigned

COMPETENCIES

Analytical Thinking - Gather relevant information systematically; break down problems into simple components; make sound decisions.

Innovative Thinking - Approach problems with curiosity and open-mindedness; offer new ideas, solutions and/or options.

Technical/Functional Expertise - Demonstrate technical proficiency required to do the job; possess up-to-date knowledge in the profession; provide technical expertise to others.

Service Orientation
Provide service to our stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, colleagues and each other, in a safe, courteous, accountable, efficient and innovative manner to include:

• Promoting inclusiveness and collegiality that demonstrates respect and professionalism to our stakeholders at all times
• Modeling safe, ethical behavior that mitigates risk to the institution through sound business practices, and adherence to MD Anderson's Standards of Conduct, institutional policies and procedures
• Responding to requests in a timely manner while proactively communicating expectations for procedures, service arrival, or project deliverables to stakeholders
• Using the steps to HEAL (Hear, Empathize, Address and Learn) the relationship when service recovery is needed

Customer Focus
Builds and maintains customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the organization through skills demonstrated in communication, personalization of interaction, regulation of emotions, and proactive problem solving.

Performance Statement Examples

• Presents a cheerful, positive manner with customers either on the phone or in person. Shows interest in, actively listens to and responds in a clear and timely manner to customer's expressed needs.
• Focuses on the customer's results, rather than own. Goes beyond basic service expectations to help customers implement complete solutions through personalized service that anticipates the customer's unspoken needs.
• Delivers services when and where the customer needs them. Explores options when unable to deliver a requested product or service, and pursues solutions until the customer is satisfied by addressing the root cause of the issue. Problem solves with patient, family member, care giver or clinical team to aid in proactively resolving issues and concerns.
• Provides to customers status reports and progress updates. Seeks customer feedback and ensures needs have been fully met.
• Talks to customers (internal and external) with a pleasant tone to find out what they need and how satisfied they are with the service. Remains in control of own reactions and responds in a manner that demonstrates appropriate nonverbal cues and complements the customer's emotions in the situation. Recognizes when its is necessary to escalate situations to leadership to ensure customer satisfaction.

Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field. Three years of experience in scientific or experimental research work. With preferred degree, one year of required experience It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html