Neuroscience OR Genetics

We are⠀seeking a⠀dedicated⠀research⠀assistant⠀to help us⠀tackle⠀incurable⠀childhood⠀neurological⠀diseases⠀through⠀basic and⠀translational⠀neurogenetics⠀research.⠀Our⠀NIH-funded⠀team at⠀the Jan⠀and Dan⠀Duncan⠀Neurological⠀Research⠀Institute⠀affiliated⠀with BCM⠀and Texas⠀Children’s⠀Hospital⠀(BCM)⠀deciphers⠀the cause⠀of⠀childhood⠀neurologic⠀disorders⠀(such as⠀epilepsy,⠀autism,⠀ADHD, and⠀cognitive⠀impairments),⠀develops⠀new ways⠀to study⠀it at the⠀bench, and⠀discovers⠀new⠀treatments⠀that may⠀one day⠀improve⠀the⠀quality of⠀life for⠀people⠀with⠀genetic⠀neurologic⠀disorders.⠀The⠀research⠀assistant⠀will be⠀working⠀amongst⠀other⠀research⠀professionals⠀in a open⠀office⠀environment⠀adjacent⠀to the⠀dedicated⠀lab.

Job Duties

• Animal⠀husbandry:⠀maintain⠀transgenic⠀fruit fly⠀and mouse⠀colonies,⠀perform⠀PCR-based⠀genotyping⠀assays,⠀monitor⠀breeding⠀activities,⠀and keep⠀detailed⠀records in⠀the lab's⠀database.
• Perform⠀tissue⠀collection⠀in mice to⠀examine⠀brain⠀anatomy⠀and⠀monitor⠀developmental⠀alterations.
• Collect⠀tissues⠀for basic⠀histology⠀on fixed⠀tissues,⠀including⠀tissue⠀sectioning,⠀staining,⠀and⠀microscopy⠀imaging.
• Perform⠀a broad⠀range of⠀cellular,⠀molecular⠀biology⠀and⠀biochemistry⠀assays,⠀including⠀DNA-,⠀RNA-, and⠀protein⠀extraction⠀from cells⠀and⠀tissues,⠀immunohistochemistry,⠀immunofluorescence,⠀Western⠀blots,⠀real time⠀PCR,⠀ELISA,⠀molecular⠀cloning⠀with⠀bacteria,⠀etc.
• Maintain⠀careful⠀and⠀detailed⠀documentation⠀of⠀experiments,⠀collected⠀data,⠀records⠀review and⠀data⠀entry, and⠀data⠀analysis⠀in lab⠀notebooks⠀and⠀databases.
• Attend⠀and⠀present at⠀group and⠀individual⠀meetings.⠀Analyze⠀data,⠀troubleshoot⠀problems,⠀and⠀generate⠀data⠀reports to⠀determine⠀feasibility.
• Oversee⠀the⠀purchase,⠀setting⠀up,⠀maintenance⠀of lab⠀equipment⠀and⠀environment,⠀including⠀monitoring⠀inventory⠀of⠀supplies,⠀managing⠀the safety⠀in the⠀lab,⠀managing⠀maintenance⠀contracts,⠀and⠀contacting⠀service⠀personnel⠀for⠀repairs.
• Train⠀and⠀supervise⠀less⠀experienced⠀research⠀staff.
• Assist⠀Faculty⠀with⠀planning⠀projects⠀for the⠀laboratory.
• Moves⠀and lifts⠀laboratory⠀supplies,⠀equipment,⠀and animal⠀research⠀related⠀storage.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education⠀Required:⠀Bachelor's⠀degree in⠀a Basic⠀Science or⠀a related⠀field.
• Experience⠀Required:⠀Three⠀years of⠀relevant⠀experience.
• Certification/Licenses/Registration:⠀None⠀Required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s⠀degree in⠀basic⠀science or⠀a related⠀field.
• At⠀least⠀three⠀years of⠀full-time⠀work⠀experience⠀in a basic⠀science⠀research⠀laboratory.
• Direct⠀experience⠀in⠀laboratory⠀and animal⠀research.⠀Comfortable⠀working⠀with live⠀mice and⠀performing⠀tissue⠀collections.
• Has⠀the⠀ability to⠀lift 25⠀pounds.
• Walks⠀up to 0.5⠀- 1.5⠀miles to⠀on-site⠀campus⠀locations,⠀that⠀includes⠀but not⠀limited to⠀Baylor⠀College of⠀Medicine⠀facilities,⠀Texas⠀Children's⠀Hospital⠀complex,⠀and other⠀Texas⠀Medical⠀Center⠀buildings.
• Experience⠀with some⠀but not⠀all⠀molecular⠀biology or⠀cell⠀culture⠀techniques⠀required.
• Ability⠀to manage⠀and⠀maintain⠀animal⠀colonies⠀according⠀to⠀institutional⠀protocols⠀and⠀project⠀needs.
• Excellent⠀communication⠀and⠀interpersonal⠀skills.
• Proficient⠀in Excel⠀spreadsheets,⠀Word⠀processing,⠀PowerPoint,⠀and basic⠀statistical⠀analyses.
• Bilingual⠀(Spanish)