Research Scientist/ Engineer 1

University of Washington Medical Center•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The University of Washington's Division Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine is seeking a Research Scientist/ Engineer 1 (1.0 FTE) based at the UW Harborview Medical Center Research Campus. The lab is investigating Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and the risk of development of organ dysfunction in the critically ill population. Projects involve processing of primary human blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and urine and completing biomarker measurements. The Research Scientist is required to interact in a collaborative manner with other team members to accomplish organizational goals, and expected to contribute to group efforts in all areas. Working under the oversight of the principal investigator and co-investigators, the Research Scientist will work in a large collaborative team on multiple projects concurrently. Duties will include specimen collection, processing and management, data analysis and laboratory management.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology or related field of study with 1 year of relevant experience.
Be able to identify technical problems in experiments and find solutions to basic problems.
Excellent interpersonal skills - ability to interact with laboratory personnel and study subjects.
Demonstrate high organizational skills and have knowledge of laboratory working environments.
Experience processing human subject samples, including isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells, DNA, RNA from whole blood. Also processing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and urine.
Experience managing and cataloging high‑volume sample inventories.
Experience with Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs).
Experience with Freezer Works biospecimen management system.

Nice To Haves

Experience in translational research
BS level training in microbiology and chemistry
Able to process data with basic statistical analysis, produce graphs, and develop preliminary conclusions and experimental plans
Familiarity with Microsoft Office suite and GraphPad Prism

Responsibilities

Coordinate the collection of human subject samples (e.g., blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and urine) with enrolled patient’s clinical teams.
Process human subject samples in accordance with established protocols.
Isolate plasma, urine and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human samples.
Map large sample sets, run RT-PCR Genotyping assays on QuantStudio7 RT-PCR instrument
Run Meso-Scale Discovery biomarker analysis
Develop and accurately reproduce laboratory protocols
Train and oversee other members of the laboratory group on techniques and processes
Elisa assays
Track available human subject specimens in existing REDCap and MS Access databases.
Track and update consent documentation as needed.
Contact identified subjects to request additional specimens as needed.
Complete specimen-related data entry in a timely manner
Contribute to data analysis by performing basic data quality control and statistical analysis, write reports, and contribute to planning follow-up experiments.
Access data in institutional databases (e.g., REDCap) when required
Produce analysis for use in publications and sponsor reports
Maintain meticulous laboratory documentation
Inventory and track supplies, orders and deliveries
Maintain freezer map
Assist with other laboratory management duties as required