**Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:** Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of diverse individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your diversity of culture, thinking, learning, and leading is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research. **Organization:** Vanderbilt Eye Institute **Job Summary:** Department Summary: The Vanderbilt Eye Institute's Research team employs cutting-edge technologies to advance the understanding of eye diseases and develop new therapies to preserve sight. Lab Focus:Vision threatening disorders Inflammation and new vessel growth in the retina can lead to irreversible vision loss. We aim to understand how circulating factors (such as inflammatory cytokines and lipids) influence retinal cells and contribute to retinopathy. The overarching goals of the lab include A) identifying blood biomarkers of disease that can guide diagnosis and prognosis, and B) identifying targets for new drugs to cure retinopathies. To this end, our lab employs both dry- and wet-bench techniques. These include using human-derived retinal cell in vitro assays, rodent models, of eye disease and live imaging, electronic health record data analyses to identify disease associations, identification of molecular biomarkers (gen-, transcript-, prote-, and metabolomic) of eye diseases with a particular focus on diabetic retinopathy). JOB SUMMARY We are looking forward to working with a highly motivated, mature and a professional individual who can collaborate with others in the lab and who exhibits dedication, reliability, and intellectual curiosity. This individual will support the execution of specified dry and wet bench research projects; collect, analyze, and accurately present data/results, and assist in general laboratory operation and inventory. . KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Under supervision, run experiments, assays, and record results • Read and follow experimental protocols (May include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.) • Compile and communicate results to supervisor • Follow University safety protocols (may include use of combustibles, radioactivity, toxic material, and/or carcinogenics) • Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions • Prepare and operate equipment in experimental procedures • May include blood gas analyzer, centrifuge, pH meter, spectrophotometer, autoclave, scintillation counter, electrophoresis unit, analytical balance, etc. • Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and university guidelines. • Ensure Laboratory is prepared for experiments • Maintain inventories, • Maintain sterile conditions as required • Prepare reagents • Clean equipment. **Shift Hours:** Varied Shift; Weekend or after-hours work may be required, as needed **NOTE:** Prior RA1's who worked in the DAPC laboratory for at least 2 years have gone on to earn PhD, MD, MD/PhD, Nursing or PA degrees. **Key Functions and Expected Performances:** **Under minimal supervision, plan and conduct complex experiments, analyze data, prepare reports, and archive data.** Plan and coordinate experiments in conjunction with Principal Investigator (PI) and staff. Understand and follow experimental protocols and competently perform any required assays (may include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.) Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions. Prepare reagents. Analyze, interpret, and summarize test results with graphs/reports. Accurately record/document, compile, organize, and communicate data/results. Follow University safety protocols (may include use of toxic and hazardous materials, and/or carcinogens). **Operate and maintain equipment, and, troubleshoot equipment malfunctions throughout the execution of all research projects associated with the lab.** Familiarize with equipment operations and manuals. Set up, maintain, troubleshoot and arrange to repair equipment according to manufacturer and Vanderbilt University guidelines. **Ensure laboratory is prepared for experiments.** Procure, organize and prepare lab supplies needed to complete the work. Maintain updated inventories. Maintain sterile conditions as required. Maintain personal knowledge of scientific trends through literature reviews. **Provide appropriate written/oral documentation of experiments.** + Document all work in a lab notebook + Effectively communicate in oral and written formats. + Prepare research progress reports weekly for lab meeting. **Assist in the effective operation of the laboratory.** Train other employees. Supervise projects and/or personnel. Serve as a liaison to other Vanderbilt Medical School Departments, Divisions and core facilities such as: Division of Animal Care (DAC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Vanderbilt Environmental Health and Safety (VEHS) etc, to ensure compliance of laboratory practices and procedures with University, local and federal rules and regulations. **Our Academic Enterprise** is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year. World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease. Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions , the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. **Core Accountabilities:** Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement. Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements. Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/ work teams. **Core Capabilities** **:** Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas. - Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service. - Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively :- Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.- Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work. **Position Qualifications:** **Responsibilities:** **Certifications :** **Work Experience :** Relevant Work Experience **Experience Level :** Less than 1 year **Education :** Bachelor's Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and to the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. EOE/AA/Women/Minority/Vets/Disabled