Staff Scientist

About the role

The Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is assembling a multidisciplinary team to address serious viral disease threats. This includes AIDS, chronic viral infection-related diseases, newly emerging viral diseases, and infectious diseases affecting the elderly. The institute aims to bridge molecular and cellular biology with animal models and clinical testing, providing critical training for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Responsibilities

• Supports all ongoing and future research related to cytomegalovirus biology using molecular biology, cell biology, and immunology techniques on rat, mouse, human, and monkey cells and viruses.
• Mentors and trains lab personnel in hESC culture and maintenance, hematopoietic differentiation, HPC isolation, and HCMV infection and latency/reactivation assays.
• Analyzes HPC experimental data using statistical applications and prepares manuscript-ready data tables and figures.
• Trains and mentors staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars.
• Contributes to writing grants and scientific manuscripts.
• Participates in advancing the laboratory’s goals as assigned.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in relevant field with at least 7 years of post-doctoral work experience.
• Expertise in human embryonic stem cell culture and differentiation.
• Experience with next-generation sequencing, cloning of CMV, molecular and cell biology techniques, and immunofluorescence.
• Willingness to work with potentially dangerous pathogens.
• Ability to work in Biosafety Level 2 and 3 facilities.
• Flexible working hours and ability to work independently.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in relevant field and 7+ years of relevant post-doctoral work experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years at the Assistant Staff Scientist level for internal candidates.
• Grant writing skills and ability to write peer-reviewed papers.
• General knowledge of grant management.

Skills

• Human embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation.
• Next generation sequencing, cloning of CMV, molecular and cell biology techniques, and immunofluorescence.
• Willingness to work with pathogens and in Biosafety Level 2 and 3 facilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage for full-time employees and 88% for dependents.
• $50K of term life insurance provided at no cost to the employee.
• Two separate above-market pension plans to choose from.
• Paid time off - 208 hours per year, prorated for part-time.
• Extended illness bank - 64 hours per year, prorated for part-time.
• 9 paid holidays per year.
• Sizable Tri-Met and C-Tran discounts.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Childcare service discounts.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Employee discounts to local and major businesses.

Physical Demands and Equipment

• Ability to carry and lift up to 35 lbs.
• Standing for three continuous hours a day.
• Working on a computer for five continuous hours a day.
• Able to perform essential functions of the position with or without accommodation.