Staff Research Associate

at  UCLA Health

Description

We are seeking a skilled Staff Research Associate with experience in a BSL2 laboratory. The successful candidate will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including:

• Tissue Culture: Maintain various human and mouse cell lines.
• Assays: Perform cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis assays, as well as functional assays (cytokine assays) on human hematopoietic stem and cancer cells.
• Molecular Biology: Conduct DNA and RNA extraction, molecular cloning, PCR, and RT-PCR. Design primers for RT/PCR.
• Protein Analysis: Perform protein extraction, quantification, and Western Blots.
• Sample Processing: Process blood and tissue samples (mouse and human) and sort for selected cell populations.
• Collaboration: Work closely with other laboratory personnel on large-scale experiments. Assist in training undergraduates.
• Inventory Management: Order, stock, and maintain laboratory supplies.
• Animal Handling: Handle mice, including tumor cell injections, treatment administration, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and oral gavage, as well as euthanization and tissue collection for formalin fixation and paraffin embedding at the Translational Pathology Core Laboratory. Assist with humanized mouse experiments.
• Safety Compliance: Adhere to safety lab procedures.

If you are looking to contribute to a dynamic research team, we encourage you to apply!
Salary offers are determined based on various factors including, but not limited to, qualifications, experience, and equity. The full hourly salary range for this position is $25.75 - $30.71.
Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in biology or related field. Working knowledge and experience with basic biology.
• Skill in using BSL2+ laboratory practices and sterile techniques.
• Skill in safely handling mice.
• Skill in performing animal manipulations– various injections, oral gavage, euthanize, tissue harvesting.
• Skill in processing mouse tissues (blood, spleen, thymus, lung, liver, brain, bone marrow, and more) in a biosafety cabinet.
• Skill in preparing media and reagents used in tissue culture work.
• Skill in handling human cells and cell lines (adherent and suspension). Skill in counting cells, freezing/thawing cells, storing cells, passaging cell lines, maintaining primary cells.
• Skill in flow cytometry acquisition and analysis: MACSQuant and Fortessa flow cytometer use.
• Skill in performing DNA/RNA extractions, viral RNA, PCR, qRT-PCR.
• Willing to work long hours (planned or unplanned), overtime, or alternate hours (such as weekends, offset hours and late at night) as requested.
• Skill in performing a given protocol in a reproducible way. Skill in reading laboratory protocols and other scientific documents. Skill in troubleshooting and optimizing protocols as necessary, documenting any protocol deviations with thorough explanation of why deviation occurred.

• Tissue Culture: Maintain various human and mouse cell lines.
• Assays: Perform cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis assays, as well as functional assays (cytokine assays) on human hematopoietic stem and cancer cells.
• Molecular Biology: Conduct DNA and RNA extraction, molecular cloning, PCR, and RT-PCR. Design primers for RT/PCR.
• Protein Analysis: Perform protein extraction, quantification, and Western Blots.
• Sample Processing: Process blood and tissue samples (mouse and human) and sort for selected cell populations.
• Collaboration: Work closely with other laboratory personnel on large-scale experiments. Assist in training undergraduates.
• Inventory Management: Order, stock, and maintain laboratory supplies.
• Animal Handling: Handle mice, including tumor cell injections, treatment administration, subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and oral gavage, as well as euthanization and tissue collection for formalin fixation and paraffin embedding at the Translational Pathology Core Laboratory. Assist with humanized mouse experiments.
• Safety Compliance: Adhere to safety lab procedures