Research Scientist​/Sr. Research Scientist - Pediatric Surgery lab

Research Scientist, or Senior Research Scientist. Program in Children's Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Address: 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.254, Houston, TX 77030.

The Speer lab is a dynamic and rapidly growing research group focused on developing novel regenerative medicine strategies for intestinal failure, including tissue-engineered intestine and cell-based therapies. We leverage human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to generate human intestinal organoids (HIOs) for both in vitro and in vivo models, investigating critical aspects of enteric nervous system development and developing cell-based therapies for enteric neuropathies.

The lab is currently supported by both a K08 and an R01 grant, fueling exciting new projects and expanding our team. As part of the vibrant Program in Children's Regenerative Medicine, you’ll join a stimulating research community with state-of-the-art basic laboratory, tissue-engineering, and cGMP facilities. The Program boasts 9 faculty and 14 research team members in non-clinical laboratory research, with faculty having been awarded over $15 million as Principal Investigators.

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist/Senior Research Scientist to join our innovative team. This role involves planning, conducting, and directing a wide variety of cutting-edge experiments aimed at advancing regenerative medicine for intestinal failure. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping research project direction and outcomes, and will demonstrate considerable knowledge in basic and sophisticated laboratory equipment and advanced concepts in the assigned research field.

• Determine the feasibility of possible projects to ensure results will have significant impact, considering staff, time, and resources.
• Plan and perform quantitative and qualitative research procedures in various areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and other biomedical fields. Identify problems through literature searches, partner research, or clinical input, formulate research questions, and design procedures to address them.
• Conduct experiments using advanced equipment and complex techniques, including tissue culture, protein purification, enzyme assays, chromatography, immunofluorescence, radioimmunoassays, biospectrometry, behavioral testing, animal surgery, and numerous laboratory methods.
• Design experimental procedures that may involve new techniques to improve existing analysis and provide additional capabilities.
• Evaluate data from analysis and present results in a written paper, a conference presentation, or through direct communication with faculty and collaborators.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, assist with repairs, and promote a safe laboratory environment. Ensure direct reports follow safety procedures and attend basic safety training courses.
• Provide work direction and guidance to personnel within the department. May lead projects and activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• PhD, or MD/PhD degree.
• Strong background in molecular biology (PCR, RT-qPCR, Western blot, RNAseq, scRNAseq, IHC) with experience or interest in translational research, regenerative medicine, enteric nervous system, neurogastroenterology, intestinal biology, gastroenterology, developmental biology, and/or tissue engineering.
• Demonstrated expertise in rodent surgery (mice and/or rats), including survival surgeries such as transplantation of human intestinal organoids and surgical manipulations of these in vivo transplanted organoids with anastomosis to the native rodent intestine or implantation of a spring device for distraction enterogenesis.
• Experience with aseptic cell culture techniques, including maintenance of hPSCs, generation and characterization of hPSCs, and/or directed differentiation of hPSCs into intestine or neural crest cells.
• Experience with optical microscopy (brightfield and fluorescent) and confocal microscopy.
• Experience with Ussing chamber or organ bath contractility studies is a plus.
• Motivated and able to conduct independent research without supervision.
• Ability…