Research Lab Tech Lead

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The General Hospital Corporation

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Research Technologist to lead our noninvasive fetal sequencing project (NIFS). Standard noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) relies on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis from maternal plasma but is restricted to detecting common aneuploidies and some microdeletions. We have developed a high-resolution, noninvasive fetal sequencing approach that can detect clinically significant fetal variants with comparable accuracy to NIPT, eliminating the procedural risk of invasive testing.

The candidate will be responsible for optimizing our current NIFS protocol to improve our cfDNA recovery and to validate those results against the current diagnostic gold standard.

The Talkowski Laboratory in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, experienced leader to join our research teams. Our group explores the impact of genomic variation on human disease, with a particular focus on the relationship between genome structure and function.

We are dedicated to the development and application of innovations in genome sequencing technologies and genetic diagnostics. Our research has shown that we can use NGS techniques to more fully capture prenatal.

The candidate will be expected to have experience or a high capacity to learn the following techniques:

* Handling of human blood-derived samples, including isolation of plasma and buffy coat under sterile and reproducible conditions.

* Sample processing, labeling, and biobanking under rigorous quality control and contamination-prevention measures consistent with good laboratory practice (GLP) standards.

* Extraction and robust handling of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and genomic DNA (gDNA) from plasma, blood, and human tissues.

* Next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation for low-input cfDNA/gDNA samples and target hybridization protocols for exome and custom sequencing panels.

* Sanger sequencing, gel electrophoresis, PCR, and qPCR-based assays for cfDNA quantification, variant detection, and workflow validation.

* NGS library quality control and assessment, including quantification and fragment size analysis.

* Accurate sample tracking and documentation across all stages of processing and analysis.

Does this position require Patient Care? No

Essential Functions

* Perform DNA/RNA extraction from blood samples (incl. whole blood, buffy coat, plasma).

* Perform other molecular genomics procedures as needed (i.e., sequencing library production, target hybridization, RNAseq, sample archiving, tissue culture, etc.)

* Learn and perform any number of molecular genomics techniques, including single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq), ATACseq, ChIPseq, HiC, and other methods

* Independently performs non-routine, highly specialized experimental procedures.

* Participates in the design and modification of research protocols.

* Develops research methodologies within the parameters of experimental protocols and research objectives.

* Composes and may present sections of research reports and manuscripts.

* Performs advanced data analysis using advanced statistical techniques.

* Responsible for the oversight and coordination of lab activities, including quality assurance.

* Responsible for the oversight and coordination of the scheduling of all procedures.

* Responsible for troubleshooting problems and instructing others in highly specialized techniques.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's Degree Related Field of Study required

Can this role accept experience in lieu of a degree?

Yes

Licenses and Credentials

Exper…