Research Laboratory Specialist Lead

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components: patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

About the Role

The Hastings Laboratory investigates the molecular basis of disease and develops RNA-based therapeutics. Spanning a range of genetic and neurodegenerative disorders, the lab applies antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), alongside small molecules. Mechanistic work spans RNA splicing and processing, with additional interests in microRNA regulation. We are seeking a Research Lab Specialist Lead to serve as the scientific and computational backbone of the laboratory. This is a senior, PhD-level role for a specialist who pairs deep RNA/splicing biology with production-grade genomics and data-analysis expertise. You will work directly with the PI to set research direction, own the transcriptomic and multi-omics analyses that drive our therapeutic discovery and mechanistic studies, and lead the day-to-day scientific operations of the lab.

Responsibilities

• Lead Scientific Operations & Research Direction
  • Manage the day-to-day operations of the laboratory, working directly with the PI on the development and implementation of the research plan and research goals.
  • Take a leadership position in the lab — assess operations and make decisions about the direction and performance of the research work.
  • Manage all phases of large, complex research projects, from experimental design through analysis and reporting, functioning as the lab's resident specialist and technical expert.
• Own the Computational & Data-Analysis Engine
  • Build and maintain the analysis pipelines that quantify how splice-modulating therapeutics — ASOs, splice-switching oligonucleotides, and small-molecule splice modifiers — perturb the transcriptome, including RNA-seq, splicing/isoform quantification, and target engagement/off-target readouts.
  • Develop computational tools for the rational design of splice-modulating oligonucleotides — predicting effective ASO target sites and modeling splicing outcomes to guide the next generation of therapeutic candidates.
  • Develop the necessary statistical, mathematical, and computational models for analyzing experimental data, and recommend improvements in experimental design and modeling.
  • Integrate multi-omic and population-scale genomic data to identify and prioritize therapeutic targets and interpret mechanism.
  • Leverage high-performance computing resources for large-scale genomic analyses, and establish reproducible data-management, QC, and analysis standards for the lab.
• Design & Execute Molecular Experiments
  • Design and oversee the molecular assays that validate splice-modulating activity of ASOs and small-molecule modifiers — e.g., qRT-PCR, targeted and whole-transcriptome RNA-seq, knockdown and splice-modulation readouts.
  • Function as subject specialist on assay development and troubleshooting, needing little direction or review of work.
  • Provide technical assistance and supervision in equipment operation, method design, and maintenance.
• Collaboration, Writing & Dissemination
  • Collaborate with the PI, lab members, and external partners to design experiments and analyses aligned with project goals; act on behalf of the PI as a liaison with other departments, programs, and external agencies.
  • Write significant portions of research proposals and grant applications.
  • Co-author publications, write independent articles, and make formal presentations of findings — including at national conferences — with or without the PI.
• Supervision & Mentorship
  • Exercise functional and administrative supervision over laboratory personnel; plan and coordinate the work of technicians, students, and other support staff.
  • Train lab members in computational workflows, molecular techniques, and instrument operation; mentor junior scientists.

What You'll Do

• Impactful work: Contribute directly to nucleic acid therapeutic development for genetic disease in a leading RNA/splicing laboratory.
• Scientific leadership: Shape the analytical direction of the lab — your ideas will directly influence its research trajectory.
• Interdisciplinary reach: Bridge computational genomics and wet-lab therapeutic development, collaborating with top-tier scientists on campus and through external partnerships.
• Career development: Lead scientific operations, drive technical innovation, and mentor a growing team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; Doctoral degree in a relevant field (or Master's plus equivalent experience) strongly preferred. Fields: Genomics/Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline.
• 6+ years of related research experience with a record of publication in a field of specialty.
• Demonstrated expertise in computational genomics / bioinformatics: RNA-seq and splicing/isoform analysis, statistical modeling, and reproducible pipeline development (e.g., R/Python, Snakemake or equivalent workflow tooling).
• Strong foundation in RNA biology and molecular biology, including splice-modulating therapeutics (ASOs, splice-switching oligonucleotides, small-molecule splice modifiers), standard molecular assays (qRT-PCR, RNA-seq), and mammalian cell culture techniques.
• Demonstrated project-management and leadership skills; organized, detail-oriented, excellent record-keeping.
• Strong communication skills — comfortable interfacing with researchers at all levels and presenting to scientific audiences.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with splice-modulating therapeutic modalities (oligonucleotide and small-molecule) and splice-modulation mechanisms.
• Experience developing computational tools for oligonucleotide design or splicing prediction.
• Experience with high-performance computing environments for large-scale genomic analysis.
• Experience using human-genetics and population-genomics resources (e.g., GWAS/sQTL, gnomAD, ClinVar, comparative genomics) to identify and justify therapeutic targets, interpret disease-associated variants, and inform oligonucleotide design.
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior scientists.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day.
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings.

Working Conditions

Laboratory- and computation-based role. Combines molecular bench work with substantial time at computers for data analysis, pipeline development, and documentation, including use of high-performance computing resources. The role also involves significant scientific writing — contributing to grant proposals and manuscripts in collaboration with and on behalf of the PI.