Staff Associate II

Position Description

Dr. Benjamin Izar is seeking a motivated candidate for a full-time Staff Associate II position at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The Ben Izar laboratory studies interactions of immunity and cancer evolution, metastasis and drug resistance. We use cutting-edge technologies, including single-cell genomics, integrated CRISPR screens with single-cell readouts, and highly-multiplexed imaging, among other technologies. We work with tissue from cancer patients, cell line models and mouse models of cancer biology and cancer immunotherapy, and continue the development of novel technologies in the lab. Our goal is to improve the lives of cancer patients through innovation. The candidate hired will work closely with Dr. Izar to promote and manage an efficient laboratory environment, conduct experiments, work closely with other lab members and in collaboration with labs in the CCTI and the Columbia University Medical Center community. Candidates are not expected to have personal experience in all the listed conceptual and methodological domains, but competitive candidates will be those who are eager to learn, flexible, highly organized, and possess excellent communication and record-keeping abilities.

Reporting to Dr. Izar, the selected candidate will be an active member of the research team, helping with or driving independent research projects. The candidate will also assist with laboratory operations and protocol management to ensure the optimal performance of personnel, equipment, and the efficient utilization of space and supplies.

Duties:

• Participate in scientific operations that will include, but are not limited to, Processing tissue samples from preclinical animal models and patients, including cryopreservation, cell fractionation using FACS or MACS, and extraction of nucleic acids and/or proteins. Preparation and maintenance of basic dry and wet chemicals and other common laboratory reagents, Extraction of nucleic acids and proteins from biologic specimens, and other technical duties
• Experience in these techniques, especially familiarity with cell culture, mouse experiments, and flow cytometry, is highly desired.
• Assist in planning research, executing experiments and research tasks, and contribute to planning future research strategies. Scientific growth will be encouraged, and research projects will be assigned as needed.
• Assist with other projects and collaborate with other labs/external collaborators / subcontractors as assigned.
• Design experiments
• Participate in laboratory meetings and other scientific presentations, as well as assist in writing reports and figures/manuscript preparation.
• Train lab staff / others in the use of techniques and equipment.
• Assist in supervising students and staff and provide feedback on their performance
• Manage laboratory equipment and supplies, inventory, and EH&S laboratory protocols, etc.
• This will include maintaining records for the lab and ensuring compliance with safety protocols and other relevant policies, and working closely with administrative and financial personnel to ensure proper documentation and compliance with grant and other administrative policies. Familiarity with database management is desired.
• Assist in managing mouse colonies, including genotyping, husbandry, and import/export of animals, as well as the submission of IACUC mouse protocols.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology
• Excellent communication skills including timely responses to messages during business hours are required.
• Experience in microscopy, genomics and computational analyses are strongly preferred though not essential if the candidate is willing to learn
• Success in this position will require being proactive, demonstrating attention to detail, and exhibiting a willingness to learn.
• The applicant should have working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, as well as software related to lab activities, such as Prism, Flow Jo, Illustrator, and statistical software.

Preferred Requirements:

• A master’s degree is preferred.
• A track record of scientific achievements, as well as direct experience with cell culture, mouse experiments, and flow cytometry, is desired.