Research Technician II - Anesthesiology

Washington University in St. Louis

4d • $17 - $26 • Onsite

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 basal ganglia and thalamocortical networks. 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. We seek to translate (and back translate!) results of our findings. 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 assist with behavioral and physiology experiments across multiple collaborative projects in the lab, and assist with animal colony management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.
• No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.
• No specific work experience is required for this position.
• A driver's license is not required for this position.

Nice To Haves

• The ideal candidate will have up to one year of experience in a laboratory setting.
• No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.
• No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.
• No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.
• Communication
• Detailed Reports
• Laboratory Instrumentation
• Laboratory Research
• Software Program
• Working Independently

Responsibilities

• Assists with behavioral and physiological experiments and assays, including collection of data, preparation of solutions and set-up and maintenance of equipment.
• Performs data entry and maintains data files on research and will assist graduate students and post-docs with data analysis.
• Will work with senior graduate students and post-docs to learn behavior experiments, and computer analysis of behavioral experiments.
• Will perform tissue sample preparation, histology and microscopy analysis.
• Complies with established safety procedures and maintains required documentation on laboratory and specimen conditions.
• Ensures lab conditions and equipment are properly cleaned and maintained in accordance with established procedures.
• Assists with general lab maintenance and animal colony management under the direction of senior lab staff.
• 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.
• Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• WashU provides eligible employees with a 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!
• We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
• WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level