Research Technician

Department

BSD MED
- Rheumatology
- Weinmann Research Staff

The Section of Rheumatology at University of Chicago Medicine is a dynamic and growing enterprise of faculty, staff, and fellows who are committed to providing outstanding state‑of‑the‑art patient care, understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, and training the next generation of physicians and scientists. Through our disease‑focused clinics we offer an inter‑disciplinary approach to patient care that provides access to the most current therapies and to the resources of the University.

In parallel with our clinical activities, we have well‑developed basic science research programs where our primary focus is on understanding the development and regulation of lymphocytes, which is fundamental to the pathogenesis of most autoimmune diseases. These are exciting times in Rheumatology. Remarkable advances in our knowledge of basic immunology are beginning to translate into new and better treatments for those suffering from autoimmune and metabolic diseases.

The Section is well poised to both take advantage of and contribute to these revolutions in the understanding and treatment of rheumatic diseases.

The Weinmann lab is looking to hire a Research Technician to work on research projects related to the regulation of mammalian genomes. Areas of emphasis include the role of metabolites in immune cell differentiation and defining how evolutionary structural variation impacts gene regulation. The job encourages creative research questions, innovative informatics analyses, and implementing novel approaches to better translate mechanisms between model organisms and human health.

• Assists with developing and implementing bioinformatics protocols and tools.
• Understands and can articulate strengths and weaknesses of genomics data processing methods to scientists with different skill levels.
• Performs research characterizing evolutionary structural variation.
• Performs research associated with genome regulation.
• Interacts with students and other laboratory staff and trains them in the direction of the principal investigator.
• Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project.
• Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens, conducts literature reviews, and assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in a related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through less than 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Education: Bachelor's degree.

• Experience with bioinformatics and processing genomics datasets, including RNA‑seq, ATAC‑seq and ChIP‑seq.
• Experience with Python, R, and using a high‑performance computing cluster for data analysis.
• Experience in developing and coding novel tools.
• Experience in developing Shiny apps and dashboards.

• Understanding of the principles of evolutionary genomics/genetics and the ability to apply this knowledge to the investigation of gene regulation mechanisms.
• Organized, task‑oriented, good record keeper.
• Basic knowledge, skills and enthusiasm for molecular biology and animal research.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.