Research Scientist/Engineer 2 - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

About the role

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences within the UW School of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Scientist/Engineer 2 to join their team. Reporting to Dr. Olena Korvatska, the Research Scientist/Engineer 2 supports research on the functional impact of genetic variation in neurodegenerative disease, focusing on Alzheimer’s disease-related genes. The role integrates molecular biology and RNA sequencing-based approaches to advance understanding of gene regulation in human brain tissues and model systems, directly contributing to the University of Washington's research and educational mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Scientific operations (60%): Conduct tissue culture, gene reporter assays, and functional validation experiments to evaluate the effects of genetic variants.
• Perform and analyze transcript isoform studies using qRT-PCR, short-read and long-read RNA sequencing technologies.
• Carry out protein-level assays, including Western blotting and flow cytometry.
• Project management (25%): Mentor and supervise student trainees and junior lab members in experimental and analytical techniques.
• Affiliate with the Principal Investigator in preparation of manuscripts, grant applications, and progress reports; ensure alignment with project milestones.
• Laboratory management (15%): Maintain lab organization, manage inventory and supplies, ensure compliance with chemical and biological safety regulations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Genetics, Genome Sciences, Molecular Biology, or a related biomedical field, and a minimum of two years of laboratory research experience in molecular biology, genome sciences, or human genetics, including hands-on experience designing and executing reporter assays to evaluate the functional impact of genetic variants.
• Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Additional Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in developing protocols for plasmid DNA delivery (e.g., transfection or nucleofection) in mammalian cell systems.
• Experience with DNA library preparation for next-generation sequencing (NGS).
• Proficiency in core molecular biology techniques, including nucleic acid extraction, RT/qRT-PCR, cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, protein extraction, and western blotting.
• Willingness and ability to work in a BSL-2 laboratory environment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, as demonstrated by co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications and/or presentations at scientific conferences.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Experience analyzing RNA-seq or other high-throughput sequencing data.
• Familiarity with command-line tools and scripting languages (e.g., R, Python, Bash), including modifying or adapting existing analysis pipelines.
• Experience with long-read sequencing technologies (e.g., PacBio, Oxford Nanopore).
• Interest in integrating experimental and computational approaches.