The Research Assistant position provides support for the Mudumbi lab in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. The role will require performing research, technical, and administrative duties for the laboratory. Initially, this role will focus on setting up the lab environment (ordering and unboxing new equipment), and ramping up for experiments (cloning, tissue culture, preparing buffers and reagents, etc) including advanced live cell imaging experiments. The individual will work closely with the PI, graduate students, and postdocs in a dynamic lab environment. The individual will be expected to function individually, as well as part of a team. It is imperative that the candidate has excellent organizational skills – with an attention to details – and excellent communication skills (both written and verbal).

The Mudumbi lab is fundamentally interested in the mechanistic underpinnings of signal transduction by cell surface transmembrane receptors. This is a central question at the heart of understanding how cells receive and interpret signals from the outside environment to achieve different downstream cellular outcomes. The lab is currently focused on the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family of single-pass transmembrane cell surface receptors, which play a crucial role in nearly every biological process in mammals, including proliferation, differentiation, metabolism, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of RTKs underlies many diseases including cancer, diabetes, and bone disorders to name a few. Of particular interest, a number of single-pass transmembrane receptors exhibit biased signaling – where different ligands specify completely distinct signals through the same receptor. To tackle this challenge, the Mudumbi lab uses a number of state-of-the-art imaging-based approaches that allows us to directly observe and understand the dynamics of individual receptors – at the single-molecule level – in living cells. Please see more details at https://lab.vanderbilt.edu/mudumbi-lab/.

The Mudumbi lab is part of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and the Ingram Cancer Center. Lab members will have access to state-of-the-art instruments in the lab, as well as access to the vast number of world-class core facilities at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

  Duties and Responsibilities
  Conduct experiments and assays. Ordering and preparing laboratory reagents Molecular cloning and related techniques (creating competent cell lines, preparing agar dishes, etc.) Assistance with maintaining laboratory equipment and inventory Preparation of buffers and reagents Performing tissue culture with aseptic techniques Collecting and analyzing data with minimal oversight Participating in lab meetings

 

Qualifications

Education: B.S. or M.S. in Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or related fields Previous experience working in a research laboratory is required Excellent organizational skills and attention to details are required Effective communication is required The ability to work independently and as part of a team is critical Experience with molecular biology and biochemical techniques, such as cloning and Western blots are preferred Tissue culture experience is preferred Experience with fluorescence microscopy is preferred