MD Anderson's Cancer Biology department has a long history of being a leader in the field of basic and translational cancer biology research. The department emphasizes the training of students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows in the fundamentals of tumor biology to improve the outcomes of patients with malignancies. The department has built a program with close ties to many clinical departments to facilitate information exchange between the laboratory and the clinic. As such, faculty in the department are investigators on NIH funded collaborative cancer biology research grants. In addition, there are several physician-scientists who have joint appointments in Cancer Biology, facilitating the exchange of clinically-relevant information between the laboratory and the clinic.

Cancer Biology Department

The Kalluri Laboratory

The primary purpose of the Senior Research Assistant is to perform experiments focused on molecular analyses of tissues and cells, nucleic acid analyses and manipulation, gene expression profiling, cloning, and tissue culture.

KEY FUNCTIONS

Lab and Animal Studies

* Exercises considerable imagination, initiative and inventiveness in planning and executing the details of experiments/studies and in evaluating and interpreting the results.

Techniques and Records

* Responsible for major participation in the development and revision of techniques, assembles and operates laboratory apparatus and equipment.

* Performs regular monitoring of safety standards in the laboratory and maintains records of hazardous materials.

* Perform laboratory studies using complex techniques including large-scale tissue culture (maintaining mammalian cells, growth assays, drug response assays, transfection and viral infection), nucleic acid extraction, PCR analyses, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry.

* Performing cloning studies, gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, RNAi transfections studies, screening assays, and flow cytometry.

Reports and Grants

* Collaborates or assists with supervisor and senior research staff with the preparation of reports and grant requests.

Supervises

* Supervises technicians in their work and assists them as assigned or delegated.

* Assists new members of the laboratory/department in the use of nude mice and tissue culture techniques.

Laboratory Organization and Monitoring

* Orders and organizes supplies for the laboratory.

* Maintaining supply levels and safety standards in the laboratory as well as for training other personnel in special techniques.

Education

Required: Bachelor's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Preferred: Master's degree in one of the natural sciences or related field.

Experience

Required: Three years of experience in scientific or experimental research work. With preferred degree, one year of required experience.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html