Research Associate II - Center for Human Brain Variation

Broad Institute; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Broad Institute is seeking a Research Associate II to join the Center for Human Brain Variation. This role involves conducting bench experiments, optimizing molecular workflows, and collaborating closely with project scientists. Ideal candidates will have a degree in a relevant field and experience in molecular biology techniques.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of relevant experience or 1 year with a Master's degree.
• Experience with single-cell RNAseq, ATACseq, and multiome data preferred.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to experimental workflows for profiling molecular contents of brain tissue.
• Optimize and execute molecular-biological reactions such as PCR and DNA extractions.
• Maintain meticulous records and document all experiments.

Skills

Collaboration

Independence

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in biology, neuroscience, chemistry, or a related field

Master's degree in a related field

Job description

The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard is seeking an outstanding Research Associate II to join the experimentalist team in the Center for Human Brain Variation. The project aims to address a critical need in cell census research: understanding cell-type-specific mechanisms and tissue-level biological principles that contribute to variation in brain biology among individuals.

We are looking for a highly motivated, collaborative Research Associate who can support this important effort in close collaboration with other project scientists. The candidate should be capable of conducting bench experiments with minimal supervision and will have opportunities to present at lab meetings and contribute to writing experimental protocols.

Responsibilities

1. Contribute to experimental workflows for profiling the molecular contents and biological states of thousands of individual cells in brain tissue, including planning experiments, creating DNA-barcoding reagents, extracting nuclei from human brain tissue, preparing molecular libraries, and high-throughput sequencing.
2. Optimize and execute molecular-biological reactions such as PCR, DNA extractions from human brain tissue, and NGS library preparation.
3. Maintain meticulous records and document all experiments in the lab notebook.
4. Attend and contribute to team meetings.
5. Contribute to the generation and optimization of experimental protocols.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, neuroscience, chemistry, or a related field with 2+ years of relevant experience, or Master's degree with at least 1 year of relevant experience.
• Experience generating single-cell RNAseq, ATACseq, and multiome data is preferred but not required.
• Ability to critically read and discuss scientific research publications.
• Strong ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.
• Must be comfortable working onsite five days per week.