Research Assistant – Cancer Invasion and Metastasis

at  The Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Cancer invasion and metastasis occur in a complex three-dimensional environment, with reciprocal feedback from the surrounding host tissue and stroma governing cancer cell behaviour. Understanding this behaviour in an intact host setting allows us to examine, in a more physiological context, the aberrant regulation of critical events that lead to dissemination and spread of the primary tumour. Intravital (in vivo) imaging is providing new insights on how cells behave in their native microenvironment thereby improving our understanding of disease progression.
In our laboratory we use novel state-of-the-art intravital imaging approaches and new fluorescent mouse models to uncouple the metastatic process into key stages to pinpoint critical events that drive tumour invasion and metastasis. Our approach permits real-time imaging ranging from whole body tumour progression to single-cell invasion events and helps us to understand how tumour cell (a) dissociation (b) invasion and/or (c) progression are controlled and how this is linked to the development of invasive or metastatic cancer.

ABOUT GARVAN

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.
Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.
We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.
Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Conducting experiments and other duties in a timely, efficient and diligent manner to assist in the overall project progressing expeditiously
• Adopting published methods and interacting with scientists within and outside the Garvan
• Evaluating and applying alternative methodologies to optimise sensitivity and reproducibility
• Developing and applying methodologies, as the need arises
• Involved in the appropriate databasing of results (the incumbent should maintain proficiency with computers)
• Collating and recording experimental data accurately, writing up experimental procedures and contributing to the interpretation of experimental results
• Making recommendations to the Laboratory Head and Post-doctoral Research Officers about ways of improving techniques, quantitative methods and quality control
• Proactively and efficiently manage the administrative functions associated with lab management
• Organise resource and equipment issues