Research Assistant II
About the role
Baylor College of Medicine, in partnership with the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, is seeking a Research Assistant II to support research focused on fetal lung development and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The Research Assistant II will manage the day-to-day operations of research projects and provide support to the Principal Investigator (PI) on both ongoing and newly initiated studies.
Responsibilities
The Research Assistant II will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of research projects, including:
- Ordering and managing laboratory consumables, and helping track budgets and vendor relationships for lab supplies and equipment
- Coordinating and organizing analyses of human and fetal rabbit lung specimens
- Organizing and managing resulting experimental data, including maintaining shared file structures and data logs for the lab
- Communicating project goals and strategies clearly with PI
- Supporting onboarding of new lab personnel
- Helping coordinate day-to-day lab logistics
Additionally, the Research Assistant II will be responsible for tissue culture, including maintaining and establishing primary human neonatal alveolar epithelial cell cultures, determining cell counts and cell viability, and performing basic cell biology, immunology, and in vitro cell growth and proliferation assays.
The Research Assistant II will also be responsible for ex vivo and tissue model work, including completing training and certification for safe handling of human and animal-derived tissue specimens, preparing and maintaining fetal rabbit lung tissue for precision-cut lung slice (PCLS) studies, and working safely within a BSL2 environment.
Other responsibilities include maintaining and updating inventory of tissue specimens, reagents, and lab equipment, recording detailed written reports of experimental data and protocols, and maintaining clean, safe laboratory work areas.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a Basic Science or a related field
- Three years of relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in a basic science or related field
- Experience performing RNA/DNA extraction and/or PCR
- Experience with flow cytometry
- Experience with cell culture of primary human tissue and/or air-liquid interface systems
- Experience with biologic and biochemical assays including western blot, qpcr, sequencing prep
- Familiarity with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently within defined protocols, make sound operational decisions, and help keep day-to-day lab operations running smoothly
Work Authorization Requirement
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.