Staff Research Associate 1/2 - Neurological Surgery

UCSF Health, AG; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Staff Research Associate 1/2 at UCSF Health supports the Neurosurgery Department and Brain Tumor Center by procuring brain tumor specimens and providing histology services for research and clinical trials.

Responsibilities include tissue collection, processing, data entry, and maintaining biospecimen inventories. You will operate core equipment (cryostat, tissue processor, Ventana IHC), perform IHC stains, and ensure HIPAA compliance. Some duties may extend past 5 pm.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, or related science or equivalent combo of education and experience.
• SRA II: BA/BS in Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, or related science, plus one year of related experience or equivalent.
• Knowledge of cell culture and basic lab techniques.
• Experience managing large data for special projects.
• Proficiency in preparing antibody dilutions.
• Experience with basic lab procedures and instrumentation setup.
• Experience with sterile tissue culture techniques.
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines with attention to detail.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word.

Responsibilities

• Perform tissue collection, processing and histology tasks for Brain Tumor Center and clinical trials.
• Data entry of patient and biospecimen information into Tissue Bank databases.
• Operate and maintain core equipment (tissue processor, Ventana IHC, cryostat, etc.).
• Process histology requests for paraffin or frozen sections.
• DNA isolation from tissue or blood samples.
• Archive and retrieve samples for histology or clinical requests.
• Maintain human and animal cell cultures for tissue distribution.
• Perform immunohistochemical staining for core projects and investigators.
• Manage antibody inventory and update protocols; maintain control slides.

Skills

Cell culture experience

Data management

Antibody dilutions

Laboratory equipment setup

Sterile technique

Excel/Word proficiency

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office

Education

BA/BS in Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, or related science

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Ventana Automated Immunostainer

MS Access

MS Office (Excel/Word)

Job description

Staff Research Associate 1/2 - Neurological Surgery

The Staff Research Associate (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. The SRA 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.

Retrieve archived samples per request (frozen, paraffin-embedded, tissue & cell culture), perform required preparation for sample distribution (sectioning, staining, pathology review) and managing samples (filing and ordering blocks).

Pull patient information and molecular test results for image-guided studies and database entry.

Operating and maintaining core equipment (cryostat, automatic tissue processor, Ventana automated IHC instrument, liquid nitrogen storage systems, tissue embedder, and microtome). Disposing hazardous waste.

Perform other specialized histological and immunohistochemical tasks. These include:

• Operating the Ventana automated IHC instrument.
• Archiving stained test slides, corresponding controls and maintaining appropriate documentation for clinical IHC requests according to CLIA and HIPAA standards.
• Processing histology requests that entails the generation of paraffin or frozen sections.
• Performing immunohistochemical staining for major Core projects as well as other individual investigators.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Required Qualifications:

• SRA I: BA/BS in Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, or related science; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• SRA II: BA/BS in Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, or related science, including one year of related work experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 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:

• Competency with MS Access
• 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
• Experience with tissue collection, preparation and other related logistics for clinical trials