Research Associate I

University of Arkansas•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has a unique combination of education, research, and clinical programs that encourages and supports teamwork and diversity. We champion being a collaborative health care organization, focused on improving patient care and the lives of Arkansans. UAMS offers amazing benefits and perks ( available for benefits eligible positions only ): Health: Medical, Dental and Vision plans available for qualifying staff and family Holiday, Vacation and Sick Leave Education discount for staff and dependents (undergraduate only) Retirement: Up to 10% matched contribution from UAMS Basic Life Insurance up to $50,000 Career Training and Educational Opportunities Merchant Discounts Concierge prescription delivery on the main campus when using UAMS pharmacy Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. The Research Associate will work as part of a team within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. This position is expected to participate in research projects by conducting experiments with input and supervision from the Principal Investigator (PI) in the Liu Lab.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree plus four (4) years of research and/or research lab experience, or Master's degree plus two (2) years of research and/or research lab experience required.
Previous experience in experimental systems related to mutagenesis, homologous/non-homologous recombination, and deaminase activities.
Needs to be reasonably active and able to be on their feet approximately 80% of the day.

Nice To Haves

Basic molecular biology, aseptic tissue culture, and flow cytometry.
Ph.D. degree in biology and 1 year of molecular biology research lab experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct research focused on understanding host responses to infectious diseases.
Design and perform molecular biology, virology, and cell biology experiments, including DNA/RNA isolation, PCR, real-time PCR, reverse transcription real-time PCR, protein purification, cloning, Western blotting, ELISA, aseptic tissue culture, immunofluorescence staining, viral infection procedures (following training), and virus purification (following training).
Perform animal studies, including handling animals for physical examinations, administering injections, collecting blood samples, isolating tissues, and conducting tissue processing and analysis.
Analyze and interpret experimental data using sound scientific reasoning.
Present research findings to the Principal Investigator (PI) and laboratory team members.
Assist the PI in developing, preparing, and submitting research protocols for regulatory approval (e.g., IACUC, IBC).
Maintain laboratory operations by managing inventory, developing and updating standard operating procedures (SOPs), ordering supplies, and ensuring overall laboratory organization and compliance.
Support onboarding and training of laboratory personnel.
Perform other duties as assigned.