Junior Specialist: Brown Lab

Dr. Nadean Brown's at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine seeks is recruiting for one 100% full-time Junior Specialist in the specialty fields of in studies investigating the roles of the Pax2 and Pax8 transcription factors during eye development and adult homeostasis. Junior Specialist positions are short-term appointments, up to two-years.

The Junior Specialist has the general duties of working closely with the Principal Investigator (PI) in the planning and execution of research projects. The junior specialist may assist in data collection, entry, and quality control, study design and implementation, literature reviews, and data analysis for preparation of manuscripts or conference presentations, and writing conference abstracts and manuscripts (e.g., methods and results sections, table, and figure generation) for a particular project.

Successful candidates are expected to participate in three major categories of activities listed below:

The Junior Specialist will participate in publishable research on astrocyte biology in the mammalian eye. This individual is expected to employ molecular, genetic, genomic, and neurobiological tools to study the functions of Pax2 and Pax8 in the mammalian eye. Full training will be provided. Once trained, the individual is expected to work independently on basic experiments and lab duties. Overall, the junior specialist should plan their own work schedule and experiments, with guidance and oversight by the PI.

They will keep a detailed laboratory notebook including all experimental procedures and data generated.

Techniques employed can include, but are not limited to, PCR genotyping, DNA isolation and electrophoresis, maintaining mouse colonies, confocal microscopy, mouse genetics, mouse behavioral assays and ex vivo mouse retinal preparation, antibody staining and imaging. This will be done in collaboration with the PI and collaborating campus scientists and utilize specific mouse models. The junior specialist will also help with lab maintenance, including staying compliant with safety standards and inspections, inventorying lab supplies and completing paperwork.

Additional duties include general laboratory maintenance such as cleaning and sterilizing glassware, media and solution preparation, and maintenance of databases.

The junior specialist is given support and guidance for all assigned work. As the junior specialist gains expertise in experimental skills and makes substantial, novel discoveries, they will be expected to contribute to study design, data interpretation, as well as manuscript preparation and publication. As part of the lab training program, the junior specialist is expected to hone their critical thinking, literature reading and writing skills, as well as to use their creativity when coming up with new ideas and research directions.

The candidate will also assist the PI in peer review of journal articles, for example, by gathering relevant information from the literature. The position also involves assisting with general lab research operations and training new lab members. The individual hired must have the ability to work as part of a team and be reasonably flexible in working hours in order to accommodate experimental schedules.

They will also participate in scientific discussions in the lab setting, weekly lab meetings and departmental conferences.

The Junior Specialist will be expected to give poster or oral presentations at departmental seminars or journal clubs and at other activities that include symposia.

The Junior Specialist will be expected to train and mentor undergraduate researchers. These students typically help with basic lab tasks and complete small research subprojects.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Genetics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or related field. Degree must be awarded before start date.
• Minimum 1 year of laboratory research experience
• Previous research experience in molecular biology assays, such as DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis
• Experience with lab animal (rodent) handling
• Demonstrated ability to work independently
• Demonstrated organizational and time management skills that are needed to maintain databases of inventories and details of multiple simultaneous experiments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Attention to cleanliness and detail sufficient to meet commonly accepted standards of laboratory practice