Junior Specialist (75% Time) - Soulika Lab

University of California, Davis; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Davis in Sacramento seeks a 75% time Research Assistant to support a dermatology wound healing program. You will handle molecular biology work, tissue processing, cell culture and data analysis, contributing to manuscripts and collaboration with immunology and engineering teams.

The role involves PCR/qPCR, histology, animal tissue handling, and potential human translation efforts, with occasional evening/weekend hours.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biological, bioengineering, or molecular biological sciences, preferably with experience in molecular techniques, histologic and image processing.
• Highly motivated, organized, and proactive with initiative.
• Full-time appointment with occasional evening or weekend hours.

Responsibilities

• Plan, perform and interpret PCR and qPCR on animal and human tissues.
• Embed, section and stain tissues; perform morphometric analysis of healing.
• Assist with animal wound surgeries on small and large models.
• Create and manage a database; maintain inventory and SOPs as needed.
• Contribute to manuscripts through data collection, literature review and methods writing.

Skills

Molecular biology techniques

Histology

Cell culture

Data analysis (SAS/Excel)

Laboratory techniques

Education

Bachelor’s degree in biological, bioengineering, or molecular biological sciences

Tools

PCR/qPCR equipment

HPLC

Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint

Job description

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This 75% position provides technical, scientific and organizational assistance to PI Dr. Athena Soulika’s research program in the Department of Dermatology, which focuses on tissue repair and regeneration, and wound healing by generating novel therapies to improve healing using in vitro and in vivo animal models. As such, the successful candidate will be exposed to generating novel technologies that can be translated to the care of patiets with non-healing ulcers. The research is designed to better understand the biology of healing and how it can be accelerated. This project collaborates with faculty in immunology and animal science at UC Davis, and with engineering and computer scientists at UC Santa Cruz.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Under the direction of the PI, the candidate’s responsibilities are a significant and essential part of publishable research activities. The candidate will assist the PI’s funded studies of biophysical control of wound healing, with responsibilities that include preparation of samples for microbiome analysis, standard microbiological techniques, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell culture, molecular biology techniques such as PCR and qPCR. Other responsibilities include preparation of tissues for histological and immunohistological examination, assisting with animal wound surgery. The candidate will work with the project team to collect data for manuscript preparation, review, and submission. The candidate’s significant and meaningful contributions described above will lead to authorship or acknowledgement on published work. Candidates interested in human translation can be invited to join the PI’s clinical research team and contribute to ongoing patient-centered studies.

RESEARCH (90%)

• Planning, performance and interpretation of PCR and qPCR on animal and human tissues.
• Embedding, sectioning and staining of animal and human tissues, and morphometric analysis of healing using computer assistance programs.
• Assisting as needed with animal surgeries, on small and large animal models.
• Create and manage a database of needed information, communicate with PI or team members to maintain and update inventory and order supplies, maintain computers, files, and programs with appropriate backup for all computers under supervision, development/revision of appropriate standard operating procedure (SOP) as needed.
• Maintaining meticulous documentation of experimental work.
• Contribute to scholarly manuscripts through reviewing and commenting on draft manuscripts, conducting literature searches, data collection, and helping to write methods sections
• Contribute original ideas for further investigation.
• Collect, organize, and summarize laboratory data. Evaluate data and prepare tables and graphs for publication. Calculate statistics as needed using SAS and/or Excel.
• Provide summary information for reports and sections of publications and presentations.
• Contribute to routine laboratory upkeep as directed by laboratory manager.
• Reading and interpreting the relevant literature, presenting summaries at lab meetings.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (5% EFFORT)

• The candidate will have the potential to attend various scholarly conferences, such as the funding agency’s quarterly reviews, and national meetings of the Wound Healing Society.
• The candidate will collaborate with researchers in the lab and will help to produce data presented at conferences.

UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5% EFFORT)

• Candidate may participate in activities of committees within the department, college, campus and other University entities, as appropriate.
• Candidate will be expected to mentor undergraduates in the lab, participate and contribute to laboratory and group meetings and other activities, as applicable

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• The qualified candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in biological, bioengineering, or molecular biological sciences, preferably with experience in molecular techniques, histologic and image processing.
• The job also requires a highly motivated, organized, and focused individual who is eager to learn and to take initiative.
• This is a full-time appointment, with occasional evening or weekend hours expected for management of studies.
• Experience in mammalian DNA/ RNA extractions and PCR and quantitative real-time PCR.

Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

• Experience in basic laboratory practices including sterile technique, serial dilutions, plating, pipetting, etc.
• Experience with aseptic and anaerobic technique
• Experience with maintaining laboratory supply and reagent inventory
• Familiarity with standard software (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with operating liquid chromatographs (HPLC) and analyze HPLC data
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Knowledge of plating methods for propagation, enumeration and isolation of bacterial species
• Species identification by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences
• Experience with handling large animals (i.e. pigs)
• Comfortable working with biological human and animal samples.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Document requirements Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V. Cover Letter

The qualified candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in biological, bioengineering, or molecular biological sciences, preferably with experience in molecular techniques, histologic and image processing.