Research Specialist A/B (Department of Cancer Biology)
About The Position
The Goodman Lab for Synthetic Immunology is a new research group at The University of Pennsylvania. We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates especially interested in synthetic biology, cell therapy, and immunoengineering to join our founding team. Our lab’s focus is on high-throughput genetic manipulation and measurement of primary immune cell populations, with the ultimate goal of improving cellular immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Goodman, the specialist will apply cutting-edge approaches to achieve these goals. The selected candidate will help to set up lab protocols, processes, and equipment, and then will perform a variety of experimental techniques such as molecular cloning, cell culture (cell lines and primary cells), flow cytometry, and preparation of DNA libraries for high throughput sequencing. Successful candidates will have a strong background in immunology and molecular biology, be highly motivated, and have excellent organizational skills. They will receive detailed technical training from Dr. Goodman and will execute cellular assays to collect, analyze, and compile data in support of our research. This position provides an excellent opportunity for individuals considering graduate or medical school and offers extensive hands-on experience in biomedical research at the forefront of in-demand fields like cell therapy and immunoengineering. Mentorship & Career Development Note: The Goodman Lab is committed to fostering career development in a supportive research environment. Dr. Goodman’s prior trainees have gone on to succeed in PhD and MD programs, join and found biotechnology startups, and pursue academic careers. Our lab culture is built on shared scientific curiosity, a mission to advance medicine through immunology, and building an environment where team members support one another while pursuing scientific excellence in a dynamic and welcoming research community Position is contingent upon continued grant funding.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. (For Research Specialist A)
- Willingness and ability to work independently, learn new methods, and be engaged as part of a research team.
- Excellent skills in communication, organization, and time management.
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and 1-3 years of relevant research experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required. (For Research Specialist B)
- The Research Specialist B will also demonstrate a higher level of independent work:
- Independently design, troubleshoot, and optimize experiments related to T cell engineering and synthetic immunology.
- Analyze and interpret experimental data with minimal supervision.
- Contribute to manuscript preparation, presentations, and grant submissions
Nice To Haves
- Prior research experience in a related field (e.g., synthetic biology, systems biology, immunology, bioengineering, chemical biology, molecular biology, cell biology).
- Experience with the culture of mammalian cells (e.g., tumor cell lines, PBMCs, primary T cells).
- Experience in the design and assembly of DNA constructs (modern molecular cloning techniques such Golden Gate or Gibson Assembly).
- Experience preparing RNA and DNA high-throughput sequencing libraries (e.g. Illumina, 10X Genomics).
- Experience with the culture of mammalian cells (e.g., tumor cell lines, PBMCs, primary T cells).
- Experience in flow cytometry or cell sorting.
- Experience handling mice and performing experiments using in vivo mouse models of disease, especially cancer models.
- Experience with bioinformatics pipelines and visualization tools (e.g. Python and R).
Responsibilities
- Drive a research project by performing various investigative procedures (ex: collect, analyze and interpret data, and present data at group meetings)
- Collect, record, organize, and verify the accuracy of data; perform calculations and prepare charts, graphs, and reports.
- Help in the general running of the lab, including receiving items, generating protocols, and maintaining lab organization.
- Become familiar with the scientific literature and participate in group meetings
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
- Flexible spending accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars
- Tuition assistance for employees, spouses, and dependent children
- Generous retirement plans (Basic, Matching, and Supplemental)
- Substantial amount of time away from work
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Wellness and Work-life Resources
- Professional and Personal Development resources
- Access to a wide range of University resources, cultural and recreational activities
- Discounts on arts and entertainment, transportation, mortgages, new cars, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and theme parks
- Flexible work options
- Home ownership services (forgivable loan for eligible employees)
- Adoption Assistance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
