Research Technician II - Anesthesiology

Washington University in St. Louis

122d • $16 - $26

About The Position

The Creed lab in the Department of Anesthesiology seeks a Research Technician to join our team. Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the population, and is characterized by affective symptoms (anhedonia, apathy and depressed mood) that negatively impact pain management. Research in our lab seeks to understand the basis for these affective symptoms. We focus on synaptic plasticity within genetically-defined neural circuits in the ventral basal ganglia: the networks involved in reward-guided decision making and learning. We combine patch clamp and in vivo electrophysiology, RNA-sequencing, biophysical modeling of neurons and computational models of behavior to understand how chronic pain and opioid analgesics alters plasticity in neural circuits, and how changes in these neural circuits drive negative affect and changes in cognition. Our ultimate goal is to use these insights to develop novel neuromodulation therapies to treat affective and cognitive symptoms of chronic pain disorders. The successful candidate will work closely with senior lab members using in vivo electrophysiological and behavioral approaches to multiple collaborative projects in the lab.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.
• No specific certification is required for this position.
• No specific work experience is required for this position.

Nice To Haves

• Up to one year of experience in a laboratory setting.
• Skills in Communication, Detailed Reports, Laboratory Instrumentation, Laboratory Research, Software Program, Working Independently.

Responsibilities

• Assists with research studies, experiments and assays, including collection of data, preparation of solutions, histology and fluorescent imaging experiments.
• Assists with animal colony maintenance and husbandry.
• Performs data entry and maintains data files on research.
• Works closely with senior post-docs in the lab to execute behavioral experiments and analyze data.
• Complies with established safety procedures and maintains required documentation.
• Ensures lab conditions and equipment are properly cleaned and maintained in accordance with established procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
• Free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• Defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
• 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child.
• Tuition coverage for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree