Staff Research Associate 1

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

UCI MIND is an Organized Research Unit focusing on basic and clinical research in the fields of brain aging and cognitive disorders. Our mission is to discover means to improve the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. UCI MIND is committed to community education with the goals of keeping the community informed of our progress, sharing insights that can help community members reduce their risk for dementia.

To learn more about UCI MIND, visit https://mind.uci.edu.

We are seeking a meticulous and organized individual to join our team as a Staff Research Associate 1. This role primarily involves conducting advanced laboratory procedures related to molecular biology and genomics. Key responsibilities include extracting RNA from pulverized tissue samples and converting them into cDNA samples. Additionally, you will be responsible for isolating and fixing nuclei samples from flash-frozen tissues, as well as preparing and sequencing functional genomics libraries for various mouse strains.

You will play a crucial role in ensuring the quality of our sequencing libraries, performing thorough quality checks on both Illumina and Nanopore libraries. As part of your duties, you will be expected to generate detailed reports, update our sample database, and maintain meticulous organization of all produced samples, datasets, and related metadata. Visualizing and documenting the intricate details of your work will also be essential.

In terms of equipment management, you will be responsible for regularly monitoring laboratory consumables and biological reagents, ensuring that inventory levels are maintained for uninterrupted workflow. You will also oversee the maintenance and proper storage of laboratory equipment used in these procedures.Beyond technical responsibilities, this role involves optimizing workflow efficiency and potentially training new team members in laboratory procedures. Collaboration with other team members on research projects and adherence to laboratory safety protocols are also integral parts of the role.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in molecular biology techniques, demonstrated proficiency in handling laboratory equipment, and a keen eye for detail in data management and analysis. This position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in a dynamic and collaborative environment.

Total Compensation

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

The expected pay range for this recruitment is $26.41- $26.41 (Hourly).


Required:

• Isolate nuclei from flash-frozen tissues and prepare single-nuclei suspensions for analytical assays
• Maintain and organize produced samples, datasets, and related metadata.
• Prepare and sequence functional genomics libraries of mouse strains.
• Optimize the flow of involved work, and train candidates in said work if necessary
• Assist with laboratory safety and research projects.
• Maintain and organize laboratory equipment and inventory.
• Ability to participate in shared project management workflow (via Teams, Slack, etc.)
• Attentive to details and have strong organizational skills
• Excellent time-management and record-keeping skills
• Strong work ethic and can work effective independently as well as collaboratively
• Highly motivated and service oriented with strong interpersonal and communication skills; able to communicate clearly and tactfully with a broad variety of people both verbally and in writing
• Comfortable working with various sequencing platforms
• Willingness to learn new lab protocols and work with other technicians, graduate students and undergraduates students
• Incumbents are expected to possess the skills, knowledge, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the positions. These skills, knowledge, and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of extensive study and experience.
• 1-3 years Experience in academic research work experience in Biology, biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology or other closely related field.

Preferred:

• Experience in mouse dissection and tissue collection
• Experience with Nuclei extraction from mouse brains
• Familiarity with Long-read assays
• Committed to long-term employment
• B.S. or higher in Biology, biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology or other closely related field.

Conditions of Employment:

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California, Irvine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.

For the University of California’s Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.
UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824-0500 or eec@uci.edu.

Salary : $7 - $31