UNIV - Research Specialist I - Department of Neurosciences

Medical University of South Carolina • Charleston, SC

23h • Onsite

About The Position

A laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience focused on understanding mechanisms associated with alcohol addiction is recruiting a technician to provide support in their ongoing studies. The job duties involve planning and carrying out routine experiments and techniques. This encompasses the organization and performance of behavioral studies in rats and mice, oversight of regulatory and compliance issues, and standard operating protocol implementation and development. Studies include behavioral research including voluntary alcohol drinking, as well as behavioral testing using models of stress, anxiety and aggression. In addition, the position will involve resource allocation (behavior room scheduling), rodent surgery, immunohistochemistry and microscopy for examination of rodent brain tissue, and viral vector injection into rodent brain and handling of BSL2 biohazards. The technician will also be required to handle rodents and maintaining animal colonies.

Requirements

• A high school diploma and two years work experience in a clinical or research setting; a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, or other natural, life or health care science may be substituted for the two years of required experience.
• Ability to perform job functions in an upright position. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform job functions in a seated position. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform job functions while walking/mobile. (Frequent)
• Ability to climb, using step stool. (Infrequent)
• Ability to work in temperature extremes (32° F to 100° F) when required due to assignments in cold rooms and/or foreign countries. (Infrequent)
• Ability to work in confined/cramped spaces. (Continuous)
• Ability to bend at the waist. (Frequent)
• Ability to twist at the waist. (Frequent)
• Ability to fully use both hands/arms. (Continuous)
• Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders. (Frequent)
• Ability to fully use both legs. (Frequent)
• Ability to reach in all directions, stretch, bend, while moving items/materials from both sitting and standing positions. (Frequent)
• Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function/distinction. (Continuous)
• Ability to lift materials up to 20 lbs., unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to lift and carry 4 liter waste material bottles a distance of 30 feet, unassisted. (Frequent)
• Ability to lift and carry 25-30 lbs. jugs of liquid a distance of 100 feet, unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to lift file boxes, from floor level to counter tops, unassisted. (Frequent)
• Ability to push/ Ability to lift 40 lbs. centrifuge rotors from floor level to height of 40 inches, then down 20 inches into centrifuge drum, unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to lift 25 lbs. boxes, from floor level to maximum height of 72 inches, unassisted. (Infrequent)
• Ability to push/pull file boxes from one location to another at floor level. (Frequent)
• Ability to maneuver heavy equipment on bench tops, 50 lbs. or greater, unassisted. (Frequent)
• Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements. (Continuous)
• Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected, in one eye or with both eyes. (Continuous)
• Ability to match or discriminate between colors, normally. (Continuous)
• Ability to hear and recognize various alarms emitting from work area systems. (Continuous)
• Ability to hear and/or understand conversations. (Continuous)
• Ability to work in a darkroom for processing film, etc. (Continuous)
• Ability to be qualified physically for respirator use, initially and annually. (Continuous)
• Ability to work rotating shifts as required.
• Ability to work overtime as required.
• Ability to learn and use new processes, tools and equipment as required.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in preclinical rodent research is preferred, but not mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Perform various experimental procedures including, but not limited to, executing behavioral protocols (testing mice on cognitive tasks) and alcohol self-administration studies, administering drugs by various routes of administration (injection, inhalation, infusion), preparing drugs and solutions, conducting stereotaxic surgery to implant chronic indwelling cannula in mice for long-term recordings or behavioral manipulations, facilitate data collection for fiber photometry and in vivo electrophysiology studies from mice during tasking measuring cognition, alcohol drinking, and anxiety-like behaviors.
• Perform various procedures for tissue and fluid specimen collection (e.g., brain slicing, brain extraction, blood collection), wet lab techniques including western immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, RNA extraction and PCR, advanced microscopy techniques including confocal and light sheet microscopy in rodent brain tissue, and 3D image analysis using Imaris and other analytical software.
• Administrative duties include lab organization and cleaning of working benchtops, supply ordering, animal ordering and inventory, coordinate and manage the behavioral testing rooms and animal breeding colony, maintain and schedule service for laboratory equipment, and perform daily animal husbandry activities to maintain the health of animals in support of the research program and according to regulatory policies.
• Preparation and oversight of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) and IACUC/IBC protocols, including writing and editing of laboratory procedures and submitting amendments to the IACUC/IBC protocols. Responsible for data management, including the collection, organization, and maintenance of behavioral and biological data sets within laboratory notebooks, servers and online document storage devices, as well as graphing and statistical analysis of data.
• Prepare, coordinate and manage studies and equipment access across all laboratory staff (technicians, students, postdocs, PIs) – this includes planning and communicating effectively. Maintain online scheduling calendars for equipment and room use.
• Supervise staff and maintain regulatory compliance by ensuring that staff follow standard laboratory procedures.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED