Research Specialist A/B (Department of Cancer Biology)

About the role

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Research Specialist A/B (Department of Cancer Biology) – Job Profile Title: Research Specialist A. The Goodman Lab for Synthetic Immunology (https://goodman-lab.org/) is a new research group at The University of Pennsylvania. We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates especially interested in synthetic biology, cell therapy, and immunoengineering to join our founding team. Our lab’s focus is on high-throughput genetic manipulation and measurement of primary immune cell populations, with the ultimate goal of improving cellular immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Goodman, the specialist will apply cutting-edge approaches to achieve these goals. The selected candidate will help to set up lab protocols, processes, and equipment, and then will perform a variety of experimental techniques such as molecular cloning, cell culture (cell lines and primary cells), flow cytometry, and preparation of DNA libraries for high throughput sequencing. Successful candidates will have a strong background in immunology and molecular biology, be highly motivated, and have excellent organizational skills. They will receive detailed technical training from Dr. Goodman and will execute cellular assays to collect, analyze, and compile data in support of our research. This position provides an excellent opportunity for individuals considering graduate or medical school and offers extensive hands-on experience in biomedical research at the forefront of in-demand fields like cell therapy and immunoengineering.

Mentorship & Career Development Note: The Goodman Lab is committed to fostering career development in a supportive research environment. Dr. Goodman’s prior trainees have gone on to succeed in PhD and MD programs, join and found biotechnology startups, and pursue academic careers. Our lab culture is built on shared scientific curiosity, a mission to advance medicine through immunology, and building an environment where team members support one another while pursuing scientific excellence in a dynamic and welcoming research community.

Position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

Job Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School: Perelman School of Medicine

Responsibilities

• Drive a research project by performing various investigative procedures (ex: collect, analyze and interpret data, and present data at group meetings)
• Collect, record, organize, and verify the accuracy of data; perform calculations and prepare charts, graphs, and reports.
• Help in the general running of the lab, including receiving items, generating protocols, and maintaining lab organization.
• Become familiar with the scientific literature and participate in group meetings
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Research Specialist A: Bachelor of Science and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Willingness and ability to work independently, learn new methods, and be engaged as part of a research team. Excellent skills in communication, organization, and time management.

Research Specialist B: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and 1-3 years of relevant research experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Willingness and ability to work independently, learn new methods, and be engaged as part of a research team. Excellent skills in communication, organization, and time management. The Research Specialist B will also demonstrate a higher level of independent work: independently design, troubleshoot, and optimize experiments related to T cell engineering and synthetic immunology; analyze and interpret experimental data with minimal supervision; contribute to manuscript preparation, presentations, and grant submissions.

Preferred Skills

• Prior research experience in a related field (e.g., synthetic biology, systems biology, immunology, bioengineering, chemical biology, molecular biology, cell biology).
• Experience with the culture of mammalian cells (e.g., tumor cell lines, PBMCs, primary T cells).
• Experience in the design