Senior Research Assistant - Cancer Biology (Shalapour Laboratory)

The Cancer Biology department has a long history of being a leader in the field of basic and translational cancer biology research. The department emphasizes the training of students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows in the fundamentals of tumor biology to improve the outcomes of patients with malignancies.

Cancer Biology

The primary purpose of the Senior Research Assistant is to perform experiments and animal studies using complex techniques. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining supply levels and safety standards in the laboratory as well as for training other personnel in special techniques. The position requires independent decision making, judgment and organizational skills.

KEY FUNCTIONS

Lab and Animal Studies

• Exercises considerable imagination, initiative and inventiveness in planning and executing the details of experiments/studies and in evaluating and interpreting the results.
• Performing laboratory studies using complex techniques including flow cytometry, sorting, tissue culture (maintaining mammalian cells, growth assays, drug response assays, transfection and viral infection), nucleic acid extraction, PCR, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry.
• Performing animal studies including genotyping, injecting tumor cells, monitoring and recording progress of experiments, dosing animals with drugs, animal imaging, surgery, feeding special diets, and preparation of tissue samples for histological processing.
  • Animals include "nude" and conventional mice.

Techniques and Records

• Responsible for major participation in the development and revision of techniques, assembles and operates laboratory apparatus and equipment.
• Orders and organizes supplies for the laboratory.
• Performs regular monitoring of safety standards in the laboratory, maintains records of hazardous materials.

Reports and Grants

• Collaborates or assists with supervisor and senior research staff with preparation of reports and grant requests.

Supervises

• Supervises technicians in their work and assists them as assigned or delegated.
• Assists new members of the laboratory/department in the use of flow cytometer, sorter and tissue culture techniques

Laboratory Organization and Monitoring

• Orders and organizes supplies for the laboratory.
• Performs regular monitoring of safety standards in the laboratory, maintains records of hazardous materials.
• Other duties as assigned

Education

Required: Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Preferred: Master's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Experience

Required: 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