Research Assistant II - Asthma, Food Allergy Allergic Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

19 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

21 Mar, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Clinical Trials, Data Recording, Cell Counting, Cell Culture, RNA Extraction, qPCR, ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Data Entry, Data Analysis, RedCap, Protocol Following, Safety Protocols, Equipment Troubleshooting, Reagent Preparation, Inventory Maintenance

Industry

Hospitals and Health Care

Description

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research. Organization: Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Job Summary: Integral team member to support the successful execution of clinical trials of new treatments for asthma and food allergy. Under moderate supervision, set up, conduct experiments, and continue research projects following protocols including the appropriate recording of data and reporting of standard or variant results. Assist in other laboratory and research functions. Our lab is focused on understanding the mechanisms of asthma and food allergy with the goal of finding new and personalized treatments. We focus on using therapeutic interventions including GLP-1R agonists, other incretin agonists, and challenge procedures such as food challenges in patients with a history of food allergies. Our prime areas of interest include: obesity-associated asthma and alpha-gal food allergy syndrome. . Key Functions: • Processing, storage, organization and shipping of samples collected in clinical trials for adults and children with asthma and food allergies. • Close coordination with the clinical research teams enrolling study participants and completing research visits. • Completion of basic laboratory assays including cell counting, cell culture, RNA extraction, qPCR, ELISA, staining for flow cytometry. • Data reporting including data entry into centralized databases, basic data analysis, graphical representation for presentations and publications, and oral presentation to local research team and collaborators. • Use of RedCap and other software systems to log and track specimens and data. • Compliance with all regulatory and study specific requirements and training. • Understand and follow experimental protocols (may include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.) • Record, compile, interpret, and communicate data/results • Follow Medical Center safety protocols (may include use of combustibles, radioactivity, toxic material, and/or carcinogens) • Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions • Prepare, operate and troubleshoot equipment in experimental procedures • Read and follow all equipment manuals • Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and University guidelines • Ensure Laboratory is prepared for experiments • Maintain inventories • Maintain sterile conditions as required • Prepare reagents • Demonstrate an understanding of acceptable procedures and techniques • Recognize problems and suggest solutions • Assist in modifications as directed • Provide appropriate written documentation of experiments • Prepare preliminary research progress reports • Summarize test results appropriately Department Summary: Welcome to the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Our mission is to: Deliver world-class clinical care to patients with allergic diseases, pulmonary conditions, and critical illness through employing a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach Lead in the development of cutting-edge, patient-focused research that extends from basic discoveries to clinical implementation Provide state-of-the-art education and training to inspire and nurture the next generation of leaders in allergy and immunology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and interventional pulmonology Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year. World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease. Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. Core Accountabilities: Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members. Core Capabilities : Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements. Position Qualifications: Responsibilities: Certifications : Work Experience : Relevant Work Experience Experience Level : 2 years Education : Bachelor's Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled. PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health. Our mission: personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. Making Health Care Personal. We’re looking for like-minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At VUMC, we place a priority on designing with and for our patients and families. We value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and discovery, and seek to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and expanding footprint in towns and communities across the region. We employ more than 28,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and graduate medical education as well as critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fund-raising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many more. Our growing health system has more than 1,700 licensed hospital beds at: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital It’s also home to hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region. We serve our community with many unique and specialized services including the Level 1 Trauma Center, a highly experienced Transplant Center that does the most heart transplants in the world, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lung Institute, Burn Center and many more. World-leading academic departments and centers make scientific discoveries, advance clinical care and train the next generation of health care professionals. Our robust research enterprise consistently ranks among the highest in the country as measured by peer-reviewed grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals, including being nationally ranked in multiple medical specialties for treating the most complex conditions in adults and children by US News and World Report. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the southeast in 2024. We support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at VUMC for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Join us in Making Health Care Personal.

Responsibilities

This role involves supporting clinical trials for asthma and food allergy treatments by setting up and conducting experiments according to protocols, recording data, and assisting with general laboratory functions. Key duties include processing and shipping biological samples, performing basic laboratory assays, and managing data entry and reporting.