Staff Research Associate

University of California San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a pioneering institution dedicated to advancing health through research and education. This role is integral to the UCSF Neurosurgery Department and the Brain Tumor Center, where you will collect and process vital specimens for groundbreaking research and clinical trials. You will operate state-of-the-art equipment and contribute to a collaborative environment focused on excellence in patient care and scientific discovery. If you are passionate about making a difference in healthcare and have the skills to thrive in a fast-paced lab, this opportunity is for you!

Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience of cell culture and basic laboratory techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to follow instructions and multi-task to meet project deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Collecting and processing neurological tumor tissues and blood samples.
• Operating and maintaining core equipment for histology services.

Skills

Cell Culture

Data Management

Mathematical Proficiency

Attention to Detail

Microsoft Office Excel

Microsoft Office Word

Education

BA/BS in a related science

Experience with laboratory techniques

Tools

Ventana Automated Immunostainer

Tissue Bank databases

Job description

The SRA position will perform duties that are crucial to providing services to the UCSF Neurosurgery Dept., the Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center and outside institutions. This employee will help procure brain tumor specimens from surgeries, provide histology services for both research and clinical purposes. This employee will play an integral part in maintaining and building upon our 46 year old repository.

Perform tissue collection, processing and other specialized histological and immunohistochemical tasks within a revenue-generating Core facility in support of the UCSF Brain Tumor Center. Specifically, these tasks include:

• Collecting, processing and archiving neurological tumor tissues and blood samples for use by Brain Tumor Center investigators and for NeuroOncology clinical trials. These surgeries may occasionally run longer than scheduled and will require staying past 5pm.
• Data entry of patient and biospecimen information into Tissue Bank databases and sample tracking system.
• Operating and maintaining core equipment: automatic tissue processor, Ventana automated immunostainers, liquid nitrogen storage systems, microtome and cryostat.
• Processing histology requests that entails the generation of paraffin or frozen sections.
• DNA isolation from various sources of tissue or blood.
• Retrieve and verify consents.
• Archive sample retrieval (both frozen and paraffin) for histology or clinical requests
• Maintaining human and animal cell cultures to ensure adequate inventory in the Tissue Bank for distribution.
• Performing immunohistochemical staining for major Core projects as well as other individual investigators.
• Maintaining antibody inventory, tracking and updating protocol changes, organizing control slides in order to assure results and best utilize resources.
• Performing and documenting clinical IHC work: test slides, controls, instrument logs and pathologist review sheets as required by CLIA standards.
• Quantifying MIB-1 labeling index to predict tumor cell proliferation and invasiveness.

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

The salary range for this position is $28.04 - $45.09 (Hourly Rate).

The Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF is home to leading physicians and scientists dedicated to treating patients with neurosurgical disorders and to the search for better therapies and cures. Our mission is to provide the best clinical care to our patients, investigate the most promising advances in neuroscience research, and train tomorrow's leaders in neurosurgery.
We are recognized by U.S News & World Report to be the #3 hospital for neurosurgery and neurology services in the country. We have neurosurgery services at all major hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing a full range of exceptional neurosurgical subspecialty care.
Our residency program is ranked #1 in the nation by Doximity and we are consistently the #1 NIH-funded neurosurgery program in the nation.

Required Qualifications

• SRA I: BA/BS degree in a related science and knowledge of, or experience with, the basic techniques or methods required by the position; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• SRA II: BA/BS in a related science and one or more years of recent, directly related work experience, utilizing the techniques or methods required by the position; and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Knowledge and experience of cell culture and basic laboratory techniques
• Experience managing large amounts of data for special projects.
• Mathematical proficiency for preparing antibody dilutions.
• Experience with basic lab procedures and instrumentation set-up.
• Experience with basic sterile techniques for tissue culture cell line maintenance.
• Demonstrated ability to follow instructions and multi-task to meet project deadlines. Possess strong attention to details to ensure high quality data.
• Proven proficiency with Microsoft Office Excel and Word.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating with the Ventana Automated Immunostainer
• Experience working with human biospecimens.
• Experience working in a CLIA laboratory and understanding the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality.
• Competency with MS Access
• Experience managing large amounts of data for special projects.
• Experience with safe processing of blood and handling of potentially infectious various human biospecimens
• Ability to handle and section brain tissue from both paraffin-embedded and frozen sources.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Organization

Campus

Job Code and Payroll Title

009617 SRA 2 NEX

Job Category

Research and Scientific

Bargaining Unit

University Professional Technical Employees – Research Support Professionals Unit (UPTE-RX)