Description
Research Asst I (Pediatric Neurology)
1803104
Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity — of culture, thinking, learning and leading — is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. We treat and help prevent all health issues ranging from colds and broken bones to heart disease and cancer.
The world-class facilities at Children's Hospital are a testament to our community's dedication to the health of children. Constructed in 2004 and expanded in 2012, our 271-bed hospital is a child-friendly place built on the science of healing.
A building alone does not make a great hospital. Our exceptional medical teams and the generous support of people like you enable us to provide every child who comes to us with the hope of improved health. Children's Hospital is a nonprofit facility. No child who needs our services is denied care on the basis of limited ability to pay.
Many of our doctors and surgeons are nationally recognized researchers who are finding new ways to cure and prevent childhood diseases. Their work preventing and treating premature birth, cancer, heart disease, spina bifida, and many other conditions is an investment in the future. We are at an important crossroads in child health. Our commitment to research and advocacy positions us to bring the promise of good health to children and families in our community and to share that hope with the world.
Your Role :
The Neul lab is seeking a motivated research assistant to perform a variety of research tasks, especially mouse colony maintenance and animal experimentation. The Neul lab focuses on disease models of neurodevelopmental disorders, with a specific focus on Rett syndrome. The lab uses a variety of techniques including molecular biology, modern genetics, cell culture, electrophysiology, and whole animal phenotyping to evaluate cellular and animal disease models to discover pathogenic mechanisms and develop novel therapies for these disorders.
A successful candidate will be able to provide, under direct supervision, support for specified research projects; collect, assess, and communicate data/results. Assist in general laboratory operation and inventory.
Important technical skills
- Mouse colony maintenance
- Mouse handling
- Mouse behavior and physiological assessments (breathing, heart rate, etc)
- Histology and microscopy
- PCR and general molecular biology techniques
- Cell culture techniques
- Animal surgery, dissection, and tissue collection
Key Funcations and Expected Performances
| 1. | Under supervision, run experiments, assays, and record results |
| 1a. | Read and follow experimental and laboratory protocols (including animal handling, tissue culture, etc.) |
| 1b. | Compile and communicate results to supervisor |
| 1c. | Follow University safety protocols (may include use of combustibles, radioactivity, toxic material, and/or carcinogenics) |
| 1d. | Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions, correctly make solutions and reagents |
| 2. | Prepare and operate equipment in experimental procedures |
| 2a. | Including plethysmographic equipment, animal telemetry, centrifuge, pH meter, spectrophotometer, autoclave, scintillation counter, electrophoresis unit, analytical balance, microscope, etc. |
| 2b. | Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and university guidelines. | |
| 3. | Ensure laboratory is prepared for experiments |
| 3a. | Maintain inventories, |
| 3b. | Maintain sterile conditions as required |
| 3c. | Prepare reagents |
| 3d. | Clean equipment. |
Position Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience) and < 1 year experience
Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration (LCR):
Shift:
Variable
VUMC Recent Accomplishments
Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:
- US News & World Report: #1 Hospital in Tennessee, #1 Health Care Provider in Nashville, #1 Audiology ( Bill Wilkerson Center ), 12 adult and 10 pediatric clinical specialties ranked among the nation's best, #15 Education and Training
- Truven Health Analytics: among the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the U.S.
- Becker's Hospital Review: one of the "100 Greatest Hospitals in America"
- The Leapfrog Group: grade "A" in Hospital Safety Score
- National Institutes of Health: among the top 10 grant awardees for medical research in the US
- Magnet Recognition Program: Vanderbilt nurses are the only group honored in Tennessee
- Nashville Business Journal: Middle Tennessee's healthiest employer
- American Hospital Association: among the 100 "Most Wired" medical systems in the US
