Research Asst 1

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

About The Position

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. A laboratory in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology seeks qualified applicants for a Research Assistant I (RAI) role. The ideal candidate will function as a laboratory resource and make essential contributions by culturing cells (both eukaryotic & prokaryotic), performing molecular biology (e.g. transformations, DNA preparation, PCR, sequence analysis, etc.), expressing and purifying proteins, characterizing antibodies (e.g. ELISA), conducting LIBRA-seq (linking B cell receptor to antigen specificity through sequencing) assays, preparing common reagents, performing routine maintenance of lab equipment, inventorying reagents and supplies and carrying out other duties as necessitated. Under supervision, the successful candidate will set up, conduct experiments, and contribute to research projects following protocols including the appropriate recording of data and reporting of standard or variant results. The RAI will also assist in other laboratory and research functions. Exceptional organizational skills, verbal communication, written communication, attention to detail, and ability to function as part of a dynamic research team are required. Previous experience with protein purification, ELISA, and working with viruses is preferred. The Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics (VCAT) is recognized as one of the leading centers in the world with broad expertise in basic and clinical discovery related to understanding and optimizing disease prevention through antibody discovery. At the interface of immunology and virology , recent computational advances have allowed us to better understand the interactions between antibodies and antigen, to design immunogens capable of eliciting target antibody specificities, and to optimize antibodies as clinical products. Research efforts in the Georgiev laboratory aim to utilize the power of computation to increase our understanding of fundamental questions in immunology and virology and to develop novel ways of using this understanding to fight diseases. For the translational component of our research, we apply structure-based protein design approaches to the development of new vaccine and antibody product candidates against a number of viruses of biomedical interest. 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.

Requirements

Exceptional organizational skills, verbal communication, written communication, attention to detail, and ability to function as part of a dynamic research team are required.
Relevant Work Experience Experience Level : Less than 1 year
Bachelor's

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with protein purification, ELISA, and working with viruses is preferred.

Responsibilities

Under supervision, conduct and evaluate experiments and assays
Understand and follow experimental protocols (may include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.)
Record, compile, interpret, and communicate data/results
Follow 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 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
Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance.
Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement.
Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements.
Individually contributes to project/ work teams.
Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.
Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas.
Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner.
Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service.
Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner.
Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support.
Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.
Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond.
Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department.
Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service.
Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.
Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error.
Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.
Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action.
Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.