Research Specialist I

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The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

Responsibilities:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Conduct and oversee processing and analysis of collected specimens for immunohistological, biochemical, and molecular techniques including microscopy analysis, immunohistochemistry, histological analysis, Western blotting, ELISA, neurotransmitter quantification, and other techniques.  The position will also train other laboratory members (e.g., technical staff, students, etc.) on these techniques. Oversee the tissue processing for mass spectrometry.
• Develop and optimize new laboratory techniques including writing laboratory SOPs and training other technical staff and students on such SOPs.  Perform scientific literature searches and utilize such literature to develop SOPs and advise the principal investigator and/or their designee on appropriate technical approaches.

Animal Care & Compliance:

• Independently supervise and oversee large colonies of rodent breeding and maintenance.  Duties will include oversight of preparation of experimental substance (e.g. drugs, environmental chemicals) administration; oversee the ordering, breeding, and euthanasia of rodents for laboratory use as well as detailed record keeping of such activities including UCAR and DLAM forms/reports.  All animal work will be performed in compliance with DLAM and UCAR guidelines.  The position will communicate with DLAM staff in order to ensure the health of experimental research subjects.  The position will also coordinate with UCAR for annual and ad-hoc inspections to ensure compliance with all UCAR polices. It is anticipated that the position will provide guidance and train and supervise other laboratory members (e.g. students, technicians, etc.) to complete these duties.
• Oversee set up and conduct rodent inhalation exposures. This includes generation of metal nanoparticle atmospheres and their measurement and of ambient exposures to concentrated ultrafine air pollution particles in the Inhalation Facility.
• Plan and oversee non-survival specimen collections from rodents.  The position will be required to independently utilize UCAR-approved and scientifically appropriate euthanasia methods followed by microdissection of the brain into regions of scientific interest.
• Supervise and train other members of the laboratory, including other technical staff, graduate students, undergraduates and work-study personnel.
• Assist Principal Investigator and Senior Laboratory Staff with Planning and coordinating experimental timelines including scheduling other technical staff and students to complete experimental tasks.
• Assist in manuscript preparation.
• Strict adherence to written SOPs is required; as is detailed, daily record keeping.

Laboratory & Other Meetings:

• Participate and contribute to regularly-scheduled laboratory meetings.  Provide a verbal account of progress on lab-specific goals, including experimental progress on research activities, as well as reporting of lab members’ compliance with Federal, State, and University regulations for use of laboratory animals, radioactivity, hazardous materials, and general laboratory health and safety as needed.  Communicate with collaborators and university core facilities (e.g. inhalation facility histology core, microscopy core, behavioral core, etc.) via in-person meetings, email, and phone calls to coordinate research activities.

Other job duties and projects as assigned.

QUALFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 1 year of related work experience involving direct assistance to researchers or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Operational understanding of basic laboratory equipment, including the ability to make solutions, use centrifuges, and accurately operate micropipettes required.
• Mathematical skills including basic algebra and the ability to use scientific notation required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) required.
• Ability to generate and organize large sets of data, strains, and plasmids, and familiarity with all aspects of a laboratory to effectively help organize the lab required.
• Ability to troubleshoot and repair equipment as needed required.
• Excellent organizational skills to help coordinate a number of projects, skills to help train inexperienced personnel, ability to use common sense, and attention to detail required.
• Must be able to work some evenings and weekends to conduct experiments required.
• Experiential knowledge of the basic workings of a research laboratory and common equipment including general knowledge of chemistry and biology preferred. Candidates with prior experience in inhalational exposures, handling research animals, rodent behavioral techniques, histology, ELISA, HPLC, and Western Blots preferred.  

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University’s Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law (Protected Characteristics). This commitment extends to non-discrimination in the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates, for all persons consistent with our values and based on applicable law.