The Eghtesady Research Laboratory, at the Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, is looking for an exceptional research staff/scientist candidate to support and participate in ongoing projects with special focus on the role of viruses in congenital heart diseases (CHD). The focus of our current research is to determine the role of maternal viral exposure, by analyzing the maternal virome, antibody repertoire, and HLA status in the causation of CHD, a novel and exciting area of investigation.
The Eghtesady lab has expertise in cardiac chamber-specific knockout animal models, virology assays and bioinformatic/biostatistical analyses. Our goal is to identify new pathways of CHD pathogenesis as well as to better understand the interplay between the maternal immune response and the fetus. We are conducting studies to test this hypothesis both by analysis of specimens from women with pregnancies affected by CHD, as well as by studying offspring in animal models exposed to infections in early gestation.
We are looking for a motivated, proactive, and collaborative individual(s) within a range of laboratory research experience. The successful candidate will participate in the ongoing development and implementation of the genetically modified mouse experiments and analysis of biorepository samples. He/she will design and execute proof-of-concept studies in animal and translational models, leveraging insights from analysis of large datasets such as RNA seq and other similar experiments as well as data derived from in vitro/in vivo assays. The candidate will assist with troubleshooting and optimization of experiments. He/she will work closely with project PIs, project coordinators, staff scientists, and trainees to ensure the success of the projects and will prepare and present data and progress reports in joint team meetings and to funding agencies. This position requires a scientific background, exceptional written and oral communication skills, adaptability, professional maturity and outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills. The contributions of this individual will be recognized on an institutional and international level, through retreat and conference presentations and publications, and as such affords significant growth potential.
Qualifications
- Sc. with at least 1 year of wet lab experience or M.Sc. with foreign equivalent in Biomedical/Cell/Molecular Biology or related fields.
- Demonstrated success executing projects involving cellular and animal models of disease.
- Demonstrated ability to be highly productive in a fluid, fast-paced and collaborative work environment.
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present and describe work to researchers with a range of experience and knowledge.
Desirable Skills
- Background in developmental biology, cardiac development, or virology.
- Experience developing and/or applying disease/cellular/in vivo
- First-hand experience in small animal surgeries, cellular assay development, in vivo evaluation of gene-based or small molecule therapeutics and genomics.
- First-hand experience with or strong knowledge of virus-related cell culture techniques, maintenance of susceptible cell lines, virologic assays, and construction of phage libraries.
- First-hand experience with or strong knowledge of protein biochemistry, high-throughput screening, genomic sequencing, CRISPRgenome editing, viral vectors, and/or shRNA/miRNA-based silencing.
- Tissue and cell processing experience (cell dissociation, FACS, immunostaining, in situ hybridization, microscopy, DNA/RNA/protein isolation and downstream analysis).
- Strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
- Open-minded and critical thinking skills for creating, testing, and applying novel technologies.
- Self-motivated and driven to exceed goals, work effectively, and make in-lab decisions with the collaborative leadership team.
- Accustomed to good documentation practices.
- Significant attention to detail and accuracy in writing and following protocols.
- Mentoring and/or management experience.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled
Interested in working with us? Please get in touch with us via our job opening portal:
Current opening: Research Opportunity
For other positions or inquiries, contact garand@wustl.edu