Operations Research Manager, BRaIN Research Laboratory

Job Description

The Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology has an outstanding opportunity for an Operations Research Manager to join their team.

The UW Bio Repository and Integrated Neuropathology (BRaIN) laboratory mission is to advance human brain science, with emphasis on normal brain structure and function, brain aging and neurodegeneration, neurotrauma, and neurooncology, through human brain donation and analysis and sharing, integrating the latest quantitative methods with traditional approaches to delve deeply to discover hidden secrets of human cellular and molecular neuroanatomy and physiology.

The BRaIN lab focuses on generating extensive qualitative and quantitative neuropathological data, including traditional neuropathological assessments, digital image analytics from neuroimaging (MRI) and other technologies, organ and tissue reconstructions, whole slide imaging, biochemical and immune-assays, and single cell and spatial omics applications, in association with accompanying clinical, exposure, pharmacy, and psychometric data, to drive local and national human brain injury and disease research.

The primary role of the BRaIN Laboratory’s Pathologists' Assistant-trained Operations Research Manager is to use an operations-focused approach to meet current commitments and challenges. This role partners with the PI to develop and implement the future vision for the BRaIN lab, focused on diagnostic expertise, biorepository development and management, innovation, collaboration, and education to support human brain science. This role works with the PI/neuropathologists to oversee the complex operations of this research enterprise, particularly with respect to research brain collection, dissection, processing, preservation, sampling, characterization, and sharing, with oversight of all BRaIN lab autopsy, grossing, and specimen storage areas.

This position oversees all operations related to biospecimen acquisition, dissection, storage, processing, diagnostic evaluations and staining, and distribution for multiple funded research studies, including, but not limited to the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, the Seattle Longitudinal Study, the Seattle Alzheimer's Disease Brain Cell Atlas, the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network, and multiple other studies related to brain aging, injury, and neurodegeneration that use human brain tissue and other biological specimens.

This position interfaces with the PI, other neuropathologists and senior scientists, and collaborators to develop, advance, and implement projects and protocols in support of funding applications, local and national presentations, and publications.

In addition to overseeing the daily operations of the BRaIN lab’s tissue procurement, processing, staining, and handling protocols, this role manages and coordinates, at the operations level, multiple significant projects that rely on the tissues processed by the BRaIN lab, makes substantial contributions to determining the feasibility of the goals and objectives of those projects, evaluates proposed or ongoing projects, and interfaces with project managers and research scientists involved in existing or proposed projects.

This role also looks for opportunities to enhance technical methodology or content through the expansion of existing or development of new efforts, including extending technology into new application areas. This position exemplifies the BRaIN Laboratory’s vision and values and acts in accordance with University of Washington policies and procedures. Without this position, the impact will be detrimental to the progress of the project, grant, research and UW’s stake in the collaboration and continued work.

This is a full-time day shift position located on the Harborview Medical Center campus. The specific work schedule will be discussed with the hiring manager.

The salary information is provided below.

• Oversees and performs gross evaluation, dissection, and documentation per established BRaIN lab procedures.
• Responsible for the…