Lab Research Analyst II
About the role
The David Lab at Duke University is recruiting a Laboratory Research Analyst II to join a team of scientists developing and using new DNA sequencing tools to study diet. The role involves taking on independent responsibility for analyzing the lab's research data and communicating its findings through technical and scientific writing.
Responsibilities
Prepare laboratory findings for publication and progress reports, including reviewing raw data, advising on how it should be formatted and plotted, and contributing to figure design.
Draft and edit technical writing to describe the lab's research, and confer with the Principal Investigator on the preparation of scientific manuscripts for publication. The analyst may also contribute to the preparation of research proposals.
Produce and maintain clear technical documentation of the lab's methods, analyses, and results, and help edit and strengthen the scientific writing of trainees and other lab members.
Independently evaluate and interpret research data and prepare reports and analyses setting forth project progress, trends, and conclusions.
Confer with the Principal Investigator on research plans and on the interpretation of results across the lab's concurrent studies.
Assist in the planning, development, and implementation of laboratory efforts to develop genomic techniques for dietary reconstruction and microbiome profiling, including identifying relevant sample controls and judging whether sample calibration and quality checks have been successful.
Plan and review both short-term and long-term experimental plans and analytical goals; recognize unusual outcomes in genomic studies and suggest how to address them; and help design experiments for publication as well as preliminary studies and approaches for future work.
Stay current with the scientific literature to identify new experimental and analytical techniques that could be adopted by the lab, and identify relevant research published externally that could complement ongoing work.
Receive training in and help manage the ethical and regulatory documents around the receipt, storage, and analysis of human biospecimens, and help coordinate the lab's compliance with standards for human-biospecimen work.
Advise and instruct graduate students, technicians, and undergraduate researchers in the overall conduct of academic research, and help coordinate experimental efforts among trainees, technicians, and the Principal Investigator.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in a life-science, health-science, or quantitative field (e.g. biology, genomics, epidemiology, nutrition science, public health, engineering), or in a writing-intensive field (e.g., science or technical communication, journalism, English), or a related field, plus four years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
A related master's degree may offset required experience on a 1:1 basis.
Demonstrated excellence in technical and scientific writing is central to this role and is the primary skill we are seeking; applicants are strongly encouraged to provide a writing sample.
Experience analyzing and interpreting research data and a background in genomics, the gut microbiome, or nutrition are preferred.
Experience with AI workflows (e.g., LLM-based tools for research, writing, or analysis) is a plus.
A willingness to experiment with and embrace AI-based approaches to scientific writing will be required.