Research Investigator - Transgenic Mouse Models

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Translational Molecular Pathology department at MD Anderson Cancer Center is dedicated to advancing cancer research by bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical application. This team focuses on developing innovative models and methodologies that drive a deeper understanding of cancer biology and support the development of targeted therapies. As a Senior Research Assistant, you will play a key role in preclinical research with a strong emphasis on transgenic mouse models, contributing directly to studies that inform future clinical advancements. This position is ideal for someone with hands-on experience in animal models who is comfortable working independently while supporting a collaborative research environment. In this role, you will design and execute animal experiments, including generating and maintaining transgenic mouse models, performing carcinogen and drug studies, and harvesting tissues for downstream analysis. You will apply a variety of molecular and immunological techniques, including flow cytometry, qPCR, western blotting, and cell culture, to support ongoing research projects. You will work closely with leadership to define project goals and translate them into structured experimental plans, developing step-by-step procedures to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and alignment with study objectives. Your ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail will be critical to success. Collaboration is an important component of this role, as you will also support other lab members with experiments involving transgenic models and contribute to overall laboratory productivity. At the same time, you will be expected to take ownership of your work, demonstrating initiative and strong problem-solving skills in a fast-paced research setting. This position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge translational research, directly supporting efforts to better understand cancer and improve patient outcomes through innovative preclinical studies.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.
Five years of experience in scientific or experimental research work.
With preferred degree, three years of required experience.
Experience generating new transgenic mouse models.
Experience conducting experiments with transgenic mouse models.
Experience harvesting tissues from mice.

Nice To Haves

Comfortable working independently while supporting a collaborative research environment.
Ability to maintain attention to detail.
Ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of critical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

Design and execute animal experiments, including generating and maintaining transgenic mouse models.
Perform carcinogen and drug studies.
Harvest tissues for downstream analysis.
Apply a variety of molecular and immunological techniques, including flow cytometry, qPCR, western blotting, and cell culture, to support ongoing research projects.
Work closely with leadership to define project goals and translate them into structured experimental plans.
Develop step-by-step procedures to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and alignment with study objectives.
Independently manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Support other lab members with experiments involving transgenic models.
Contribute to overall laboratory productivity.
Take ownership of your work, demonstrating initiative and strong problem-solving skills.
Perform in an independent manner animal experiments including carcinogen and drug injections, collection of samples and tissues from mice, generating animal models, performing assays including flow cytometry, QPCR, western blotting, and cell culture.
Function in an independent manner.
Discusses goals of each project with supervisor; with the help of supervisor, develops a step-by-step written procedure outlining the experiment.
Ability to work on several research projects concurrently in an independent manner.
Other duties as assigned