UNIV - Research Specialist I - Department of Neurosciences

Medical University of South Carolina•Charleston, SC

1d•$37,200 - $59,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Rinker Lab at the Medical University of South Carolina is seeking a Research Specialist 1 to join our lab in the Department of Neuroscience. This position is ideal for individuals looking to gain more hands-on laboratory experience in a systems neuroscience lab. The lab focuses on understanding mechanisms that underly stress and alcohol interactions and the neurobiological underpinnings of excessive alcohol consumption in a rodent (mice) model of alcohol use disorder. The lab employs a variety of advanced neuroscience techniques to accomplish these goals including: wet lab approaches (immunohistochemistry, western blotting, qPCR, RNAseq, tissue clearing, microscopy), in vivo approaches (chemogenetics, optogenetics, fiber photometry and single-cell calcium imaging) and dry lab approaches (advanced computational and deep machine learning approaches). Experience in these techniques is not required, but enthusiasm for learning new things is a plus. The ideal individual for this position will be highly organized, detail oriented and familiar with the basic scientific method. The individual will be part of group of postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students working in the lab and should be flexible to work as a team and independently when necessary. Additionally, a calm and measured demeanor is a plus, as intracranial surgeries require patience and fine motor skills and behavioral experiments with rodents are sensitive to experimenter stress. This position is full time (40 hours per week) and largely during normal business hours, however occasional weekend or holiday work required (very minimal, though). This individual should show initiative, be a self-starter and highly motivated, with a strong work ethic and require minimal oversight from the PI and colleagues in the lab.

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

Enthusiasm for learning new things
Familiarity with the basic scientific method
Calm and measured demeanor

Responsibilities

Assist in providing basic husbandry care for animals that are actively part of experimental studies.
Monitor, assign to studies, and cull transgenic mouse lines (strains) to maintain proper colony population.
Order animals from designated vendors.
Carry out various behavioral experimental procedures including, but not limited to, home cage alcohol drinking studies, operant alcohol self-administration models, cued-access protocols in both freely moving and head-fixed animals, as well as assessments of locomotor, affective and cognitive function.
Perform intracranial surgery for either viral transfection and/or intracranial fiber/lens implants, utilizing stereotaxic surgery and BSL2 level procedures.
Assist in postmortem tissue collection and processing for various assays, including immunohistochemistry, western blotting, qPCR, RNAseq, etc.
Ensure that standard lab solutions are stocked and refreshed as needed.
Maintain laboratory supplies, place and receive orders.
Maintain organized records/databases and update SOPs.
Keep lab in clean and orderly condition.