UNIV - Research Specialist - Psychiatry: SMART

Medical University of South Carolina•Charleston, SC

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The position requires performing both administrative and preclinical research laboratory technical tasks including ordering lab supplies, general administrative duties, assist post-doctoral fellow in live mice care, collection of animal blood and tissue, bookkeeping imaging preprocessing, and other lab duties.

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.
Ability to perform job functions in a seated position.
Ability to perform job functions while walking/mobile.
Ability to climb, using step stool.
Ability to work in temperature extremes (32° F to 100° F) when required due to assignments in cold rooms and/or foreign countries.
Ability to work in confined/cramped spaces.
Ability to bend at the waist.
Ability to twist at the waist.
Ability to fully use both hands/arms.
Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders.
Ability to fully use both legs.
Ability to reach in all directions, stretch, bend, while moving items/materials from both sitting and standing positions.
Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function/distinction.
Ability to lift materials up to 20 lbs., unassisted.
Ability to lift and carry 4 liter waste material bottles a distance of 30 feet, unassisted.
Ability to lift and carry 25-30 lbs. jugs of liquid a distance of 100 feet, unassisted.
Ability to lift file boxes, from floor level to counter tops, unassisted.
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.
Ability to lift 25 lbs. boxes, from floor level to maximum height of 72 inches, unassisted.
Ability to push/pull file boxes from one location to another at floor level.
Ability to maneuver heavy equipment on bench tops, 50 lbs. or greater, unassisted.
Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements.
Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected, in one eye or with both eyes.
Ability to match or discriminate between colors, normally.
Ability to hear and recognize various alarms emitting from work area systems.
Ability to hear and/or understand conversations.
Ability to work in a darkroom for processing film, etc.
Ability to be qualified physically for respirator use, initially and annually.
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

The ideal candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in biology or a Master's degree in a science-related field.
Previous experience in neurobiology preclinical research, including conducting behavioral experiments with laboratory rodents (rats or mice), data collection, and analysis, culminating in a peer-reviewed journal publication, is optimal.
The candidate for the position should also have previous experience reviewing budgets and supervising procurement.
General knowledge of the WorkDay administrative platform is highly desirable, as is proficiency with various software and coding languages such as GraphPad, Photoshop, InkScape, R Studio, Excel worksheets that are routinely used in the laboratory for data analysis, data presentation, and financial reporting.
Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is also desirable.

Responsibilities

Employee will handle budget reconciliation and report to the lab director and the grant manager team.
They will order lab supplies, including delivery follow-up in coordination with the lab director, post-doctoral fellows, departmental, and university central procurement teams.
Update and manage institutional animal protocols and management of tick@lab platform.
Provide general administrative assistance to the lab director.
Employee will provide assistance to the postdoctoral fellow in live mice care, brain tissue collection, postmortem brain tissue slicing, thin-slice mounting, immunohistochemistry labeling, confocal fluorescent microscopy, live blood collection, determination of ethanol levels in blood, measurements of ethanol intake, or performing ethanol injections and neurosurgical assistance, including postoperative care.
Employee will provide assistance with in vivo calcium imaging data setup recordings, bookkeeping of imaging data, imaging data preprocessing, ad-hoc running of analytical scripts coded in R Studio, including graphical data representation.
They will run set up and execution of sleep recordings in mice and sleep data scoring, as well as bibliographic collection and cataloging.
As the research project develops, additional duties will be added.
Employee will maintain the wet laboratory and assigned live-animal rooms in a well-organized, clean condition.
They will also assist with the management of the transgenic mouse colony.