Staff Scientist, Department of Surgery

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

A staff scientist is required to perform state of the art research in a lab within the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.  The labs are run by Dr. Victoria Findlay and Dr. David Turner. The successful candidate is expected to conduct research, analyze data, publish papers, and mentor junior researchers from all levels. The Staff scientist will manage projects and ensure ethical and effective research processes. They may also work to secure funding, collaborate with other scientists, and present findings. The successful candidate will use their expertise to advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the development of new technologies and innovations within the lab.

A successful candidate must be dedicated to achieving scientific excellence in a highly collaborative research group. They will foster this throughout the development of a research group focused on defining the links between social, environmental and biological risk factors on cancer disparities.

Research Outline: By addressing health inequity, disparities in cancer outcomes have been reduced, but stubbornly persist for some cancer types and have increased for others. The question remains if enduring cancer disparities arise solely out of health inequities. Instead, these inequities may act together with an individual’s biology in defining cancer risk. The labs research assesses how a newly termed exposure named “bio-social determinant of health” can be applied to describe non-enzymatic glycoxidation and how it can report on the dynamic and varied impact of societal, environmental, and biological cancer risk factors on the tumor microenvironment.

Primary Responsibilities
●Manage projects and collaborations through project initiation, strategy development, strategic planning, execution, and closeout of phases of projects
●Generate data for ongoing research projects and for future grant applications
●Train members of the research team in lab protocols and equipment, and maintaining standard operating procedures
●Support in the management of the lab and ongoing lab operations
●Assist with managing budget, personnel, and space relating to the labs research
●Direct work assignments and ensure the staff have the necessary resources to accomplish their assigned tasks
●Additional weekend and holiday work may be required when experiments require it

Minimum Hiring Standards:
●The applicant must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a biological science or related fields.
●At least 3 years of postdoctoral experience working in a laboratory setting.
●Experience in cancer associated mouse models (preferable prostate or breast cancer), cell and tissue culture, and molecular assessments in cancer associated cell signaling in the tumor microenvironment is essential
●Experience working in a BSL2 biosafety environment
●Have the ability to effectively communicate with collaborators and staff and to offer solutions to address any issues or concerns to the lab operations
●Be dedicated to achieving scientific excellence in a highly collaborative research group

Preferred Hiring Standards:
●Further expertise in molecular pathways associated with diet and/or other lifestyle factors is desirable but not required

Additional Information:

University Title: Research & Innovation, Scientist RS (1-3), (33241Y, 33242Y, 33243Y)

ORP Eligibility: Yes

This position is open until filled.

Restricted Position: This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

Vaccination Health: Please note that if you are employed as a university employee working in any of the health system's facilities, you will need to follow VCU Health System policies, which will include but will not be limited to, vaccination requirements.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsored research, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient care and education. VCU School of Medicine comprises 18 clinical departments, eight basic health science departments, and 11 affiliated institutes and centers, and provides preeminent education to physicians and scientists in order to improve the quality of healthcare for humanity.  All full-time university staff are eligible for our generous benefits package that includes choices for health, vision, and dental coverage, life-insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, retirement planning, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, flexible spending accounts, tuition benefits, significant paid-time off,12 paid holidays, and more.  Explore our benefits further here: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/benefits/university-and-academic-professional-benefits/

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Jewel Jefferson
jewel.jefferson@vcuhealth.org