Temporary Research Assistant

American University•Washington, DC

23h•$23•Onsite

About The Position

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University Department: College of Arts & Sciences Time Type: Full time Job Type: Temporary (Fixed Term) FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Work Modality: Full On Campus Presence Union: Excluded Job Description: Summary: The Research Assistant will assist with animal behavior research within the laboratory of Dr. David Kearns. The position will entail carrying out operant behavioral research involving drug self-administration in rats, testing and monitoring animal subjects, recording and statistically analyzing results, and writing and/or presenting findings. Successful candidates will be familiar with operant behavioral procedures and have demonstrated experience with small animal care and testing.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
Less than 1 year of relevant experience.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree.
1-3 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

Training and Testing Rats Perform daily behavioral training and testing of rat subjects including setting up operant chambers, refilling syringes, setting up software to control experiments, placing rats into operant chambers, monitoring ongoing behavior and experimental events, and recording behavior. Assist and or carry out small rodent surgery under Dr. Kearns’s supervision) as needed per testing requirements.
Equipment Maintenance and Testing Perform regular testing and maintenance on all experimental equipment used in the course of lab research. Clean operant chambers and other lab areas as needed.
Animal Care Handle, weigh, feed, administer medication to rats, under Dr. Kearns’s supervision. Transport rats from vivarium to testing rooms and return to vivarium when done. Record weights and procedures performed. Perform catheter maintenance for all rat subjects each day to ensure that all test subjects are appropriately cared for and fit for required experiments. Complete animal research compliance training and documentation.
Analysis Collect and save data to spreadsheets. Statistically analyze results from testing and make figures or tables of results. Draft and/or review research reports (journal articles, primarily) on findings. Present research findings in lab meetings, colleagues, and possibly at conferences.
Supply Maintenance Maintain a careful inventory of supplies and equipment used in experiments, testing, and animal care. Alert Dr. Kearns or other lab members when a particular supply is running low and needs to be ordered. Receive shipments of supplies and/or equipment and put in their proper places (i.e., shelves, cabinets, or closets) in the lab.
Communication and Collaboration Reliably respond to emails regarding lab work. Communicate and coordinate with Dr. Kearns and graduate student and undergraduate members of the lab regarding daily schedules, assigned activities, recent research results, problems with the research, and absences. Instruct student members of the lab on procedures as needed.