Company Description
Every institution values excellence. What matters most is why.
Griffith was created to be a different type of university. You’ll find we’re about leading research, academic excellence, and the transformative power of education. But what sets us apart is why those things matter and how you’ll achieve them.
Why? Griffith brings together exceptional minds like yours from across the globe and from all walks of life. Here, we do incredible work, questioning and challenging, always in the pursuit of excellence.
Job Description
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation Fellow (Cell Banking) is a prestigious fellowship supported by the Foundation to drive the translation of therapies to treat spinal cord injury.
The Research Fellow will work under the direction of Prof James St John, head of the Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, within the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics at Griffith University. The Research Fellow will work on developing a cell bank of human olfactory ensheathing cells for transplantation. The Research Fellow will use and develop a range of in vitro cell culture protocols to isolate, purify and identify the cell populations, including progenitor populations, and will then develop and optimise a protocol for human cell banking for long-term storage to meet appropriate regulatory requirements.
The position will work within the Spinal Injury Project team which is delivering a clinical trial of a cell transplantation therapy for treating spinal cord injuries. The project involves a large multi-disciplinary group, including cell biologists, molecular biologists, bioengineers and surgeons, and involves considerable community and clinician engagement.

Key responsibilities of this position include:

• Conduct laboratory research to determine protocols for cell banking of human glial cells.
• Use cellular and molecular analyses to identify changes in cell populations at various stages including before and after banking.
• Work with clinicians to manage collection of biopsies and patient data.
• Work with industry partners to improve and adopt cell production and storage practices.
• Perform in vitro and in vivo cell research using animal and human biopsy samples for related projects within the Centre as appropriate to research skills.
• Develop intellectual property and/or maintain a good publication record in high impact, international, esteemed peer-reviewed journals and seek competitive funding
• Lead and promote compliance with relevant legislation and University policies and procedures

This is a fixed-term full time position for three years. The position will preferably be based at the Brisbane South (Nathan) campus but, if preferred by the successful applicant, could be based at the Gold Coast campus as the Centre has laboratories at both campuses. As Griffith is a multi-campus University you may be required to work across other campus locations.
Griffith University’s campuses are located on the lands of the Yugarabul, Yuggera, Jagera, Turrbal, Yugambeh and Kombumerri peoples.

• Conduct laboratory research to determine protocols for cell banking of human glial cells.
• Use cellular and molecular analyses to identify changes in cell populations at various stages including before and after banking.
• Work with clinicians to manage collection of biopsies and patient data.
• Work with industry partners to improve and adopt cell production and storage practices.
• Perform in vitro and in vivo cell research using animal and human biopsy samples for related projects within the Centre as appropriate to research skills.
• Develop intellectual property and/or maintain a good publication record in high impact, international, esteemed peer-reviewed journals and seek competitive funding
• Lead and promote compliance with relevant legislation and University policies and procedure