Description

University of Colorado – School of Medicine

Department of Neurology

Professional Research Assistant

 

The University of Colorado Denver l Anschutz Medical Campus seeks individuals with demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive learning and working environment.  We value the ability to engage effectively with students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds.

The Department of Neurology has an opening for a motivated full-time Professional Research Assistant to assist with laboratory-related study implementation at the University of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center (CUACC), including clinical trials. This position will collaborate with study colleagues at all levels of the organization. We are seeking an individual who is collaborative, communicative, detail-oriented, organized, proactive, able to think critically, focused on quality, dedicated to personal growth, and highly motivated.

The position is located at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Hours are usually 8:00 to 5:00 weekdays, but occasionally longer hours and weekends are required, depending on research needs. We are the premier research university in Colorado, serving more than 30,000 undergraduate, graduate, and health professions students in Denver, Aurora, and online and awarding nearly 4,000 degrees each year. The renowned researchers and award-winning faculty offer more than 100 degree programs through 13 colleges and schools. In 2019-2020, the University was awarded more than $1 billion in annual sponsored research funding and gifts, including $829.7 million in federal awards and $398.9 million in non-federal awards, with gifts accounting for the remainder. Anschutz Medical Campus includes over 5 million square feet of research, educational, and clinical space on 227 acres.

Professional Field:

Research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, Huntington’s disease, and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Basic science laboratory research and clinical research.

Supervision Received:

The employee will be supervised by the Director of the University of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center, Huntington Potter, PhD, and will work with members of his laboratory staff as assigned.

 

Examples of Work Performed

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Processing and banking human cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples to separate their components (e.g., serum, plasma, erythrocytes, leukocytes, exosomes, etc.) for biomarker studies.

Managing, tracking, and updating the biological data base with samples processed and originated by the active clinical trials.

Performing molecular and biochemical techniques including, but not limited to, immunoblotting, ELISA, qPCR, flow cytometry, FACS analysis, mass cytometry, biomarker analyses for Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins, as needed.

Assist with lab maintenance tasks, such as supply ordering, stocking, and other daily tasks as needed.

Other responsibilities may include:

Histology staining of tissues and cell culture.

Microscopy of tissues and cell culture (bright field, fluorescence, confocal).

Carrying out quantitative microscopic assessments of photomicrographs.

Animal handling, behavioral assessments, and preparing rodent blood samples to be used in different studies

Performing the following in vitro studies making use of excellent aseptic technique: Growing primary mouse, rat, and human cells in culture and hippocampal slices from mice and rats; Growing induced pluripotent (non-embryonic) stem cells (iPSCs); Preparing growth media and supplements, freezing cells for future use, thawing new batches of cells, and analyzing cell growth and viability.

Transfecting cell culture with nucleic acids or transducing cells with viral particles harboring nucleic acids, and assessing the success of the transfection/transduction.

Necropsy and tissue harvesting, protein/RNA/DNA extraction.

Various functional and molecular assays.

Performing perfusions, harvesting tissues (e.g., brain, spleen, other organs), and processing blood samples from mice and rats.

Reporting to the other laboratory team members in a clear and eloquent manner experiment results and scientific literature findings to promote both scientific discussion among peers and idea development.

Salary and Benefits:

The salary range for this position has been established at $35,600 to $42,500

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on University benefits programs, including eligibility, is located at Employee Services.

University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background checks for all new employees prior to their employment.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. Alternative formats of this ad are available upon request for persons with disabilities.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Benefits: https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/benefits-wellness

Total Compensation Calculator: https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/total-compensation

Diversity and Equity:

Please click here for information on disability accommodations: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/HR/jobs/Pages/JobsatCUDenver.aspx 

Office of Equity: https://www1.ucdenver.edu/offices/equity

The University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus is committed to recruiting and supporting a diverse student body, faculty and administrative staff. The university strives to promote a culture of inclusiveness, respect, communication and understanding. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and all veterans. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

Qualifications
Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in biological science, neuroscience, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, or related field.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Excellent project and data management skills.Self-motivated; highly organized, with demonstrated project planning and time-management skills in an academic research setting.Ability to work both independently and as a team member, with supervision of a principal investigator and laboratory staff.Positive attitude to facilitate interaction with colleagues and to promote a positive work environment. A strong desire to meaningfully contribute to the fields of Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome research and to further the missions of the laboratory.Experience with web-based tracking systems and Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access)

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Technical writing experience (manuscripts or protocols)Background in neuroscience.Basic laboratory science research.Cell culture, neuronal or other.Processing and banking human cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples to separate their components (e.g., serum, plasma, erythrocytes, leukocytes, exosomes, etc.) for biomarker studies.Managing, tracking, and updating the biological data base with samples processed and originated by the active clinical trials.Basic biochemistry and molecular biology (ELISA, immunoblotting, etc.).Immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence microscopy.Genomic, gene-expression, and proteomic platform use and understanding.Managing and processing brain samples from animal models for immunohistochemistry, immunoblot, and transcriptomic analyses.Experience in animal behavioral tasks and analyses of animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. Processing whole blood samples and preparing samples for downstream analyses (e.g., flow cytometry, FACS, etc.)Histology techniques (e.g., tissue fixation, cryosectioning, tissue mounting and slide preparation, deparaffinization, immunostaining, etc.).Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work independently and within diverse team structures. A positive, motivated, engaged, and caring attitude.Great attention to detail and quality.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire. 

Job Category: Faculty
Primary Location: Aurora
Schedule: Full-time
Posting Date: Jun 2, 2021
Unposting Date: Ongoing