Laboratory Research Assistant - Cancer Center - 139963

About the role

The Moores Cancer Center is one of just 57 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States and the only one in San Diego County. As a consortium cancer center, it is a collaborative partnership between the UCSD: encompassing 14 departments (12 clinical, 2 basic sciences), 3 professional schools (School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health), UCSD Health oncology hospitals and clinics; the basic and public health research and outreach of San Diego State University, and the basic and translational research of the La Jolla Institute of Immunology.

Responsibilities

• Affordability and accessibility of healthcare
• Collaborate with faculty, academicians, students, and staff including those of diverse ethnicity, culture, and foreign nationals
• Conduct in vivo and in vitro experiments to study expression of specific proteins in solid tumors and to define the role of specific proteins in promoting tumor growth, metastasis, and tumor initiation using primary cancer cells and cell lines
• Conduct in vivo experiments with patient-derived xenograft mouse models to assess treatment effects with novel agents
• Process and bank primary human and mouse tumor samples
• Perform standard molecular biology techniques, including PCR, SDS Page electrophoresis, western blotting, ELISA assays, and recombinant DNA manipulation
• Culture primary tumor cells
• Handle blood, plasma and other human specimens for processing and shipping
• Operate a FACS Celesta instrument
• Read clinical protocol and interpret the time line of sample acquisitions time points
• Establish patient-derived xenograft (PDX) including subcutaneous injection model and orthotopic mice model
• Culture primary tumor cells and cancer stem cells in vitro
• Work with solid tumors, including breast and ovarian cancer

Requirements

• Theoretical knowledge of immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, and protein chemistry
• Ability to perform standard molecular biology techniques, including PCR, SDS Page electrophoresis, western blotting, ELISA assays, and recombinant DNA manipulation
• Ability to culture primary tumor cells
• Knowledge of various mice handling techniques
• Ability to perform formulation of different therapies and conduct animal dosing (IV, PO, IP, SC), tumor implantation, blood/tissue collection from mice, tumor measurements, tumor freezing and formalin-fixing procedures
• Knowledge and willingness to handle blood, plasma and other human specimens for processing and shipping
• Must be willing and able to work with human samples, animals, biohazardous materials and radioactivity
• Excellent organizational skills to order and maintain lab equipment and order supplies
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to follow UCSD Safety and Hazardous Materials guidelines
• Ability and willingness to work with hazardous/biohazardous materials
• Interpersonal and oral communication skills

Qualifications

• Theoretical knowledge of immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, and protein chemistry
• Ability to perform standard molecular biology techniques, including PCR, SDS Page electrophoresis, western blotting, ELISA assays, and recombinant DNA manipulation
• Ability to culture primary tumor cells
• Knowledge of various mice handling techniques
• Ability to perform formulation of different therapies and conduct animal dosing (IV, PO, IP, SC), tumor implantation, blood/tissue collection from mice, tumor measurements, tumor freezing and formalin-fixing procedures
• Knowledge and willingness to handle blood, plasma and other human specimens for processing and shipping
• Must be willing and able to work with human samples, animals, biohazardous materials and radioactivity
• Excellent organizational skills to order and maintain lab equipment and order supplies
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to follow UCSD Safety and Hazardous Materials guidelines
• Ability and willingness to work with hazardous/biohazardous materials
• Interpersonal and oral communication skills

Skills

• Theoretical knowledge of immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, and protein chemistry
• Ability to perform standard molecular biology techniques, including PCR, SDS Page electrophoresis, western blotting, ELISA assays, and recombinant DNA manipulation
• Ability to culture primary tumor cells
• Knowledge of various mice handling techniques
• Ability to perform formulation of different therapies and conduct animal dosing (IV, PO, IP, SC), tumor implantation, blood/tissue collection from mice, tumor measurements, tumor freezing and formalin-fixing procedures
• Knowledge and willingness to handle blood, plasma and other human specimens for processing and shipping
• Must be willing and able to work with human samples, animals, biohazardous materials and radioactivity
• Excellent organizational skills to order and maintain lab equipment and order supplies
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to follow UCSD Safety and Hazardous Materials guidelines
• Ability and willingness to work with hazardous/biohazardous materials
• Interpersonal and oral communication skills

Benefits

Moores Cancer Center follows a progressive philosophy of career-path development for its employees including opportunities for cross-training, professional development, and progressive responsibility.

Pay

Annual Full Pay Range: $62,891 - $75,022 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)
Hourly Equivalent: $30.12 - $35.93

Schedule

Days, 8-Hour Shifts, Monday-Friday