Research Specialist A

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Posted Job Title

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Job Description Summary

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

The Lee Laboratory in the Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division is seeking a Research Specialist who will assist in conducting translational research studies to develop biomarkers in patients with kidney disease and other patient populations. The Lee Laboratory has a particular research focus on developing biomarkers in the stool, blood, urine, and other biological specimens in order to predict
and diagnose complications in patients with kidney disease. Dr. Lee has published on the relationship of the gut microbiota to urinary tract infections in kidney transplant recipients (Magruder et al., Nat Commun 2019) and the relationship of the gut microbiota to post-transplant diarrhea in kidney transplant recipients (Lee et al., Am J Transplant 2018).

We are looking for a highly motivated Research Specialist who would like to participate in translational research studies with patients.
The Research Specialist will interact directly with patients to discuss informed consent for translational studies, coordinate specimen collections with them, administering questionnaires to them, and inputting data into databases. The Research Specialist will also process stool, blood, urine, and other biological specimens for storage and perform molecular biology experiments and
biochemistry/protein experiments on the biological specimens.

The Research Specialist will analyze generated data and will provide
training and mentorship to students and other research staff.

DUTIES:
• Interacting with patients to discuss informed consent and to consent them into translational studies
• Coordinating specimen collections with patients and collecting their specimens in outpatient and inpatient settings
• Administering questionnaires to patients enrolled in the translational studies
• Processing stool, blood, urine, and other biological specimens for storage in the laboratory
• Performing molecular biology experiments (such as PCR and DNA sequencing) and biochemistry/protein experiments (such
as ELISA) on the biological specimens
• Inputting demographical, clinical, and specimen characteristics into databases
• Analyzing generated data and summarizing work for manuscript submission
• Providing training and mentorship to students and other research staff
• General lab management and ordering lab supplies
• Perform additional experiments/duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s Degree with 0 to 1 years of related experience in research
• Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or related fields
• Preferred: Some prior experience in biomedical research
• Preferred: Should have a strong work ethic and good communication skills

CONTINGENT UPON FUNDING

Job Location - City, State

Department / School

Pay Range

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

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