Senior Research Assistant

OHSU•Portland, OR

61d

About The Position

This position is responsible for supporting and conducting technical work on preclinical research protocols in the Diagnostic Radiology laboratory with an emphasis on small animal imaging. The successful candidate will have and maintain a working knowledge of OHSU departments that oversee ethical animal care and use. The individual assuming this role will have ownership of regulatory tasks that are completed over the lifetime of a project, including protocol development, submission to IACUC, and protocol amendments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in relevant field AND
1 year of relevant experience OR
Equivalent combination of training and experience
Proficiency with basic and more complex lab equipment, such as autoclave, nitrogen tanks, surgical tools
Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills (both written & verbal)
Ability to work independently and as part of a team while being collaborative in resolving problems
Ability to prioritize work demands and manage time appropriately
Ability to use tact and diplomacy to maintain effective working relationships
Must possess the energy and drive to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously
Must have demonstrated record of reliable attendance, punctuality, and proven successful performance
Ability to perform the job duties with or without accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Preclinical lab experience with animal models
Experience with 12T MRI and microPET animal imaging
Ability to establish an IV line in rat tail/ femoral vein

Responsibilities

Coordinate imaging schedule as proposed in experimental protocols
Perform anatomic and physiologic magnetic resonance imaging on rat brains, organs and intracerebral tumors using the 12T MRI in the AIRC
Schedule and orchestrate microPET imaging of rat brains, organs and intracerebral tumors
Administer anesthetic agents, reversal agents, contrast agents, radionuclides and other novel agent to animals IV
Perform imaging analysis and compile data
Handle animals according to standard protocols, procedures, and research-specific protocols
Animal procedure and treatment preparation (i.e., intubation, anesthesia administration, tail/femoral and jugular IV starts, MRI contrast agents)
Perform surgeries, treatments, and other animal procedures, including brain tumor implantation, radiation, tissue dissection, and euthanasia.
Perform injections and inoculations, such as ultrasound-guided intra-cardia injection or intra-cerebellum inoculation
Blood processing and testing (i.e., BUN and blood panel)
Assist PIs in the development of preclinical research protocols, including animal experiments and data collection methods
Ensure overall compliance with OHSU requirements for lab operations and use
Present images and data at lab meetings
Attend conferences, lab meetings, and journal club
Cleaning and maintenance of lab space (i.e., washing labware, eyewash stations, proper removal of biohazards/chemicals)
Lab equipment maintenance (i.e., CO2 tanks and liquid nitrogen storage)
Restocking of supplies for general use and surgeries
Autoclaving surgical kits and tip/tube stock
Making buffers and ethanol mixtures, as needed
Monitoring and maintaining temperature, CO2, and water levels in incubators and water baths for cell culture
Train and supervise interns and student workers on general lab safety, maintenance, cell culture and histology
Embed and section rat brain and tumor tissues utilizing vibratome, microtome and cryostat sectioning equipment
Perform IF and IHC staining on paraffin embedded, frozen and thick sectioned tissue
Slipcover and clean microscope slides
Improving and innovating IF and fluorescent imaging techniques
Image using microscopes in the ALMC such as the LSM 900, LSM 980 and Axioscan slide scanner
Perform imaging analysis using post-processing software (i.e., Zen, Imaris, and ImageJ)
Presenting microscopy images and data using PowerPoint presentations at lab meetings
Culturing human and rat cancer cells (splitting/ feeding)
Making media and aliquoting supplements as needed
Freezing and storing cancer cells and fresh tissue
Preparing cells for surgical inoculations
Plating cells for in vitro assays
Performing BCA and Western blots
Participate in project-specific trainings
Participate in continuing education activities to maintain current knowledge of animal handling, equipment usage, and OHSU lab requirements.
Additional duties as assigned