Research Assistant

About us:

At the Department of Physiology Anatomy & Genetics (DPAG) we undertake discovery science where we reassemble physiological processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue and systems level of organisation. In so doing we provide a bridge to translational medicine, and interface between physical and life sciences. We are committed not only to innovative research and the highest standard of teaching, but also to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Overview of the role:

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position reporting to Dr Ian McCracken and Prof Sarah De Val based at the Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM).  We are looking for an ambitious and highly-motivated individual to join our combined research teams. The role will involve working extensively to differentiate hiPSCs to endothelial cells whilst applying CRISPR/Cas9 based screening methodologies to infer the role of specific family of transcription factors. The postholder will apply various advanced techniques including single cell RNA sequencing and production and use of lentiviral vectors. Opportunities to gain experience in bioinformatics analyses of single cell RNA sequencing datasets will also be provided.

This post is available immediately and is fixed term for 2 years.

Key responsibilities:

• Manage own research and administrative activities, within guidelines provided by senior colleagues.
• Select, follow and adapt experimental protocols, including performing cell culture experiments maintaining and differentiating human pluripotent stem cells.
• Determine the most appropriate methodologies to test hypotheses, and identify suitable alternatives if technical problems arise.
• Contribute to wider project planning, including contributing ideas for subsequent experiments to test new project hypotheses.
• Gather, analyse, and present scientific data from a variety of sources.
• Contribute to scientific reports and journal articles and the presentation of data/papers at conferences.
• Responsible for general laboratory management and administration, including stock control of laboratory consumables.
• Use specialist scientific equipment in a laboratory environment.
• Represent the research group at external meetings/seminars, either with other members of the group or alone.
• Contribute to discussions and share research findings with colleagues in partner institutions, and research groups.

Selection criteria:

• Hold a BSc in a relevant field (e.g., biological sciences, molecular biology, biochemistry), with understanding of developmental, cell and molecular biology principles.
• Experience working within a research laboratory environment with sufficient hands-on experience in cell culture and advanced molecular biology techniques.
• Strong organisational abilities to support daily laboratory operations, including stock management and inventory control.
• Experience of following and adapting protocols and selecting appropriate experimental methodologies. Includes the ability to troubleshoot and the insight to know when to ask for assistance.
• Ability to manage own research and administrative activities.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write text that can be published, present data at conferences, and represent the research group at meetings.
• Evidenced ability to adapt to meet the experimental demands of dynamic research environment by quickly learning new skills as required whilst maintaining a high level of attention to detail.
• Experience of creating collaborative and inclusive environments with people from different backgrounds.

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