Basic Scientist Assistant I - The Center for Asthma Research

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Job Summary:

The Center for Asthma Research is seeking an exceptional and motivated Scientific Laboratory Director to join our dynamic clinical-translational research team dedicated to advancing discoveries in maternal-child health and asthma prevention. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in cutting-edge research aimed at improving lives and shaping the future of asthma prevention and treatment.

As a Scientific Laboratory Director, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of a collaborative and fast-paced laboratory, supervising a team of 1-2 research assistants, and ensuring the smooth execution of biospecimen processing, testing, storage, tracking, aliquoting, and shipping. In addition, it is the expectation that the Director will develop new scientific directions of the laboratory, including in vitro experiments using airway epithelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, to include in vitro infection. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and leadership skills, a passion for advancing scientific knowledge, and the ability to foster productive relationships with collaborators across the United States and with international collaborators.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lab Management: Provide oversight and leadership to a team of 1-2 research assistants, ensuring efficient workflow, adherence to protocols, and maintenance of a positive and productive laboratory environment.

• Scientific Advancement: Support the Center’s mission to advance its scientific agenda by contributing to innovative research projects and fostering a culture of inquiry and discovery.

• Biospecimen Processing: Conduct and oversee processing of maternal-child human samples, ensuring high-quality, reproducible results while adhering to rigorous scientific standards.

• Assay Development and Testing: Perform biospecimen testing and specialized assays to support research objectives, contributing to publications and presentations. Experience with or ability to develop assays for RSV serology is preferred.

• Cell Culture: Work with human airway epithelial cells (required experience) and PBMCs to advance translational research goals. Experience with in vitro infection of airway epithelial cells with respiratory syncytial virus is preferred.

• Collaboration: This position will be the professional face of our wet laboratory and requires building and maintaining effective partnerships with collaborators across the U.S., facilitating data sharing, research alignment, and communication between multidisciplinary teams.

• Organization and Reporting: Maintain accurate lab records, coordinate inventory management, complete annual compliance and training reporting, perform annual staff assessments of research assistant(s), develop lab-focused grant budgets and prepare reports for regulatory and scientific purposes.

• Teamwork: Work effectively in a team-oriented environment, promoting collaboration, mentorship, and mutual respect among lab members.

Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field, and the relevant laboratory experience noted above.

• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in a research or clinical laboratory setting, with prior supervisory experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated expertise in biospecimen processing and testing; experience with laboratory organization and oversight; experience with overseeing personnel.

• Familiarity with human airway epithelial cell culture and in vitro experiments

• Strong organizational, multitasking, and problem-solving skills.

• Proven leadership abilities with a collaborative and positive management style.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to interact effectively with internal and external collaborators.

• Passion for advancing science and contributing to impactful research in maternal-child health and asthma prevention

Why Join Us?

The Center for Asthma Research is home to an innovative and interdisciplinary team committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families. As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking studies, collaborate with leading experts across the country, and contribute to a mission-driven organization where your skills and leadership will be valued.

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement. Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements. Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/ work teams.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas. - Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service. - Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively :- Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.- Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education :

Doctorate

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.