Associate Scientist- Kumar Laboratory

St Jude Children's Research Hospital; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 66,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking an Associate Scientist in the Kumar Laboratory within the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions.

This role leads in vivo workflows, designs complex experiments, and oversees day-to-day lab operations in a productive research environment. The ideal candidate has strong independence, advanced experience in microbiology and gnotobiotic models, and is capable of mentoring junior staff while contributing to manuscript preparation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific area is required.
• 7+ years of research experience required; 5+ years with a Master's; 2+ years with a PhD.
• Experience leading and supporting research experiments preferred.
• Experience guiding and training lab personnel preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead in vivo research workflows across germ-free, gnotobiotic systems, and conventional colonies.
• Independently design, perform, optimize, and troubleshoot complex experiments in molecular biology, anaerobic bacteriology, culturomics, and microbial genetics.
• Coordinate day-to-day laboratory operations: purchasing reagents, vendor relations, equipment maintenance, SOPs and biosafety protocols.
• Process, organize, and analyze experimental data; contribute to drafting manuscripts, grant applications, and progress reports.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff and rotation students.

Skills

Lead in vivo workflows

Independent experiments

Lab management & operations

Data synthesis & manuscript prep

Mentorship & training

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant science field

Job description

The Kumar Lab investigates how medications and host immune factors remodel the gut microbiome to alter intestinal homeostasis. We integrate clinical and high-throughput omics datasets with mechanistic molecular microbiology, anaerobic culturomics, and gnotobiotic models to dissect how microbiome alterations govern susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious gastrointestinal diseases.

See our recent publication: Kumar et al. Nature, 644, 506-515 (2025)

An Associate Scientist position is available in the Kumar Laboratory within the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Position Responsibilities:

We are seeking an experienced, highly motivated Associate Scientist to drive core research projects, lead in vivo operations, and assist in overall laboratory management. The ideal candidate will operate with high scientific independence, execute complex experimental workflows, and help build a productive, well-organized research environment.

• Lead In vivo Research Workflows: Serve as a central lead for in vivo modeling, coordinating and executing experiments across germ-free, gnotobiotic (isolator and IVC systems), and conventional colonies, including infectious challenges, oral gavages, colonized consortia studies, and tissue harvests.
• Independent Experimental Execution: Independently design, perform, optimize, and troubleshoot complex experiments across molecular biology, anaerobic bacteriology, culturomics, and microbial genetics.
• Laboratory Management & Operations: Coordinate essential day-to-day operations, including ordering/purchasing reagents and consumables, maintaining vendor relations, managing equipment maintenance and calibrations, and writing/updating standard operating procedures (SOPs), biosafety protocols, and IACUC amendments.
• Data Synthesis & Manuscript Preparation: Process, organize, and rigorously analyze experimental data; lead or contribute significantly to the drafting, editing, and revision of manuscripts, figures, grant applications, and progress reports.
• Training & Mentorship: Provide direct technical guidance, protocol training, and day-to-day support to junior lab members, rotation graduate students, and research technologists.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific area

Minimum Experience:

• 7 + years of research experience is required
• 5 + years of research experience is required with a Master's degree
• 2 + years of research experience is required with a PHD
• Experience leading and supporting research experiments preferred
• Some experience leading lab and scientific project coordination, maintenance, and other research support activities preferred
• Experience in guiding and training other laboratory personnel preferred
• Proven performance in earlier role/comparable role

Preferred experience:

Experience with anaerobic bacteriology, culturomics, mucosal immunology assays, or basic computational workflows for microbiome analysis (R/Python)

Interested candidates should submit a Cover Letter (outlining research background, leadership/in vivo workflow experience, and career goals)

Compensation

In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $65,520 - $114,400 per year for the role of Associate Scientist- Kumar Laboratory.

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