Pathology Cardiac Specimen Repository Coordinator.

Schwarzman Animal Medical Center•New York, NY

3h•$18 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is seeking a temporary, part-time Pathology Cardiac Specimen Repository Coordinator to support the organization, cataloging, preservation, and database management of AMC’s Cardiac Biobank. The Cardiac Biobank contains a rare and valuable repository of formalin-fixed cardiac specimens collected through AMC autopsies, including feline, canine, and other animal species. These specimens are an important resource for clinical research, comparative medicine, teaching, and future collaboration with cardiologists, pathologists, researchers, and academic partners. This role requires experience safely handling formaldehyde/formalin-fixed specimens, organizing preserved tissue samples, and accurately maintaining specimen records in the Pathology Department’s specialized database. The coordinator will work closely with Dr. Fox, Dr. Donovan, and others involved in cardiac research to ensure that specimens are identifiable, traceable, properly stored, and available for future research and teaching use.

Requirements

Prior experience working in a pathology, laboratory, research, or related clinical environment.
Demonstrated experience safely handling formaldehyde, formalin, or formalin-fixed tissue specimens.
Familiarity with laboratory safety practices, chemical storage, specimen handling, and disposal protocols.
Experience entering, maintaining, and organizing data in a specialized database or research inventory system.
Strong attention to detail and ability to accurately reconcile physical specimens with digital records.
Ability to work independently with minimal start-up training.
Strong organizational skills and comfort working with legacy records, inconsistent labeling, and complex specimen inventories.
Ability to handle preserved biological specimens with care, accuracy, and respect for their research and teaching value.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a veterinary pathology department or animal medical center environment.
Familiarity with FileMaker Pro or similar relational database systems.
Experience creating or maintaining relational databases that connect specimens, diagnoses, species, disease types, normal controls, cardiac conditions, cancer-related findings, and inflammatory conditions.
Knowledge of cardiac pathology, autopsy specimens, or veterinary research collections.
Prior experience organizing biobanks, specimen repositories, research archives, or teaching collections.

Responsibilities

Organize formalin-fixed cardiac specimens stored in jars, containers, or heat-sealed envelopes and sort them by species, case type, disease category, and other relevant research or pathology criteria.
Safely handle formaldehyde/formalin-fixed specimens in accordance with AMC safety protocols, laboratory practices, and applicable chemical handling and storage requirements.
Review and reconcile specimen information from existing labels, containers, pathology records, and database entries to improve accuracy and completeness of the Cardiac Biobank inventory.
Enter, update, and maintain specimen data in the Pathology Department’s database, including FileMaker Pro or other designated computer systems.
Add or update key specimen information where available, including case number, species, age, breed, sex, diagnosis, disease category, storage location, and other relevant identifiers.
Develop and maintain organizational tracking information, including shelf, cabinet, container location, and other storage details to ensure specimens can be easily retrieved for teaching, research, or review.
Generate updated specimen labels to replace older, incomplete, damaged, or inconsistent labeling, ensuring that specimens are clearly and accurately identified.
Segregate and identify specimens by species and/or category using clear markers, labels, or other organizational systems to improve visibility and accessibility.
Assist with container downsizing where appropriate by transferring specimens to the smallest usable and safe plastic jar or container to improve space utilization and storage efficiency.
Identify specimens that may no longer be useful for teaching or research purposes and coordinate appropriate disposal in accordance with AMC safety protocols and applicable regulatory requirements.
Maintain accurate records of discarded, relocated, relabeled, or reorganized specimens to preserve the integrity of the Cardiac Biobank inventory.
Support future research access by ensuring that the biobank is organized, searchable, and usable for cardiologists, pathologists, researchers, and collaborators.