Summary

A Research Assistant I position is available at the Neuro Research center within the Texas Children's Cancer Center. This position will be part of an interdisciplinary team of laboratory and clinical investigators developing novel forms of cancer therapy. The Research Assistant I will assist with blood and tissue sample processing and will perform research mouse work in a biomedical research laboratory. The successful applicant will be responsible for managing transgenic mouse colonies and immunocompromised mouse colonies.

Job Duties

• Breeding, weaning, collecting genotyping samples from transgenic mouse colonies.
• Monitor mouse health, closely watch for brain tumor or flank tumor development.
• Dissect to harvest samples (tumor, spinal cord and other mouse tissues).
• Perform injections (tumor cells and drugs) when needed.
• Record harvested samples in an excel file.
• Assist mouse users with in vivo bioluminescent imaging when necessary.
• Prepare harvested tumor or mouse tissue samples for follow-up pathology work.
• Provide technical training/assistance to trainees and new technicians within the team whenever necessary.
• Routinely communicate with mouse users within the team regarding mouse work.
• Perform biochemical and molecular assays, including preparation of sequencing libraries.
• Derive primary cultures of patient's surgical samples.
• Develop procedures for establishing patient-derived primary cultures from brain tumor samples and optimization of standard molecular techniques (including work with antibodies for western blots, etc).
• Plan and direct experiments involving standard biochemistry techniques (e.g. western blots, PCRs, making buffers and solutions, preparing sequencing libraries, etc.) and animal work with mice (e.g. xenotransplantation).
• Perform basic data analysis, including cell survival analyses (e.g. with Alamar Blue cell viability assays), quantification of western blot, PCR data analysis and quantitative PCR analysis.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Basic Science or a related field.
• Two years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in basic science or in a related field.
• 3 years of mouse handling experience with expertise in intravenous, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections, as well as blood collection and tissue dissection techniques
• Experience with mouse health monitor is highly preferred
• Experience with other procedures (e.g., cardiac puncture, perfusion) is preferred but not required
• Experience handling multiple biological samples at any given time, and following standard operational protocols (SOPS)
• Proactive, highly organized, willing to communicate and help, and able to efficiently prioritize work in response to multiple demands.
• Proven ability to both work as part of a team and independently
• Detailed and precise record keeping are essential skills.
  

Baylor College of Medicine requires employees to be fully vaccinated -subject to approved exemptions-against vaccine-preventable diseases including, but not limited to, COVID-19 and influenza.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

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