Senior Research Assistant

Summary

The Senior Research Associate will be responsible of performing complex, responsible research work of an advanced nature requiring high-level skills and expertise. Works under general direction from the Principal Investigator, with significant independent judgment in planning and executing experiments supporting a translational cardiac gene therapy research program focused on CRISPR-based epigenetic editing, AAV/lentiviral vector delivery, and in vivo models of cardiac repair.

Job Duties

• Performs molecular cloning, plasmid construction, and verification (restriction digests, sequencing, Gibson/Golden Gate assembly) to support CRISPRa/CRISPRi construct development.
• Conducts Western blotting, qPCR, and related protein/RNA expression assays to evaluate target engagement and pathway activity (e.g., PGC-1α, VEGF-A).
• Maintains primary and immortalized cell cultures (e.g., AC16 cardiomyocytes, neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes), including transduction with lentiviral/AAV constructs and downstream phenotypic assays.
• Prepares and processes samples for next-generation sequencing applications, including amplicon sequencing library preparation.
• Assists with rodent surgical procedures (e.g., myocardial infarction model, vector injection) under PI or veterinary staff guidance, including pre- and post-operative animal care.
• Performs tissue harvest, processing, fixation, sectioning, and storage for downstream histological and molecular analyses.
• Maintains accurate records of animal cohorts, treatment groups, and experimental timelines in compliance with IACUC protocols.
• Plans, organizes, and executes experiments with appropriate controls; troubleshoots and optimizes protocols independently.
• Evaluates and analyzes experimental data; prepares summaries, figures, and reports for the PI.
• Maintains detailed, organized laboratory notebooks and electronic records in accordance with lab and institutional standards.
• Manages laboratory inventory, orders supplies and reagents, and ensures equipment is maintained and calibrated.
• Conducts literature searches and summarizes relevant findings to inform experimental design.
• Assists with grant-related tasks on an occasional basis, such as compiling preliminary data, figures, or references for proposals and progress reports.
• Trains and orients high school, undergraduate, and graduate student researchers on laboratory techniques, safety procedures, and protocols.
• Provides day-to-day guidance and oversight to trainees working on assigned projects; reviews their data and technique for quality and reproducibility.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Basic Science or related field. 
• Four years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in basic science or a related field.