Cytogenetic Technologist

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is excited to be hiring a Cytogenetic Technologist or Specialty Cytogenetic Technologist to help support the UPMC Cytogenetic Laboratory (UCL)! This role will be scheduled daylight hours 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with rotating Saturday responsibilities.

The UCL is a state-of-the-art facility where you will have the opportunity to make an impact on life-changing medicine. Using both traditional cytogenetic techniques as well as molecular cytogenetics by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genome-wide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), the UCL performs chromosome studies on a wide variety of specimens, giving our patients the best opportunity to get the answers they need.

Applicants will be placed into the appropriate job title and salary based on their individual experience and education. The Specialty Cytogenetic Technologist's salary starts at $29.46/hour.

Responsibilities:

• Initiate cultures using sterile techniques following procedures to ensure optimal growth of samples.
• Monitor growth of subcultures and determine when cultures are ready for harvest.
• Follow mandatory reporting procedures for any incident or serious event that did affect or potentially could have affected the clinical care of any patient.
• Adjust harvesting procedures daily based on environmental conditions and appearance of other recent harvests.
• Choose correct culture media and places in appropriate incubator.
• Place slides on microscope and determine and record the location of appropriate cells for analysis.
• Prepare karyograms for each case on the imaging system and analyze them for the presence of chromosomal defects.
• Perform specimen harvesting, slide making, and/or banding as needed when on-call.
• Determine number of cultures to be set up based on size of sample and clinical diagnosis.
• Determine when subcultures should be performed on non-primary cultures.
• Change media in cultures according to established schedules.
• Harvest primary and subcultures when ready.
• Perform techniques necessary to acquire preliminary cytogenetic diagnosis on STAT newborns.
• Perform subcultures when necessary and determines number of subcultures to be initiated from original cultures based on amount of cell growth present.
• Perform appropriate banding and staining procedures to ensure optimal visibility of chromosome structure.
• Count the number of chromosomes and analyze the structure of each chromosome to determine if a genetic defect is present.
• Monitor temperature and carbon dioxide levels in incubators to ensure growth of cultures.
• Prepare slides from harvested cells.
• Image capture appropriate number of cells on each case on the department's computerized imaging system.
• Retrieve and set up specimens as required.
• Maintain records of culture initiation, growth, manipulation, and harvests on all specimens.