Position Objective: The Scientist supports research in Alzheimer’s and related dementias. This includes sample isolation, cell culture work, new protocol development, data analysis, and writing. This position supports the National Institute on Aging (NIA) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Evaluate new techniques, instruments, and software for potential incorporation into current SOP.
- Advance the science in the laboratory through new procedures and discoveries.
- Design and conduct experiments and studies requiring the application of a broad professional knowledge of scientific theories and principles.
- Advance the science through proposing and investigating new target projects for initiation based on novelty and relevance to human health.
- Work with staff on the interpretation of experiments performed by research scientists.
- Independently direct and conduct special research projects that have a high priority for the laboratory with special emphasis in the development of novel research treatments.
- Work with postdoc/biological scientists to perform statistical analysis for research projects.
- Work with staff on assay design and method development using an array or experimentation.
- Train staff on the proper usage of laboratory instruments and equipment.
- Calibrate, maintain and troubleshoot instruments and equipment in the laboratory.
- Operate, troubleshoot and train others to use laboratory equipment and software.
- Provide advice and assistance to users in designing experiments, using instrumentation, data acquisition and analysis, and preparing figures for publication.
- Manage scientific equipment and resources (e.g. reagents, stocks of frozen sells, animal samples) including acquisition, documentation and storage.
- Participate in the laboratory’s review of future proposals for resource allocations.
- Maintain a detailed and up-to-date electronic laboratory notebook detailing all experiments.
- Write technical reports and prepare manuscripts.
- Oversee project data quality; analyze and interpret project data.
- Conduct bioinformatics data analyses and statistical analyses; prepare data for abstracts and manuscripts.
- Work with staff to confirm assay results and evaluate new techniques and instruments; search literature; propose, design and test alternative assays for difficult screening targets; confirm assay results; develop secondary assays.
- Work with Principal Investigators in scheduling and prioritizing instrument usage.
- Coordinate with IT staff on all software issues specific to the chemistry group and on all computer problems.
- Suggest alternative or complementary approaches to experiments.
- Prepare oral presentations and posters for internal and external groups/conferences.
- Co-author manuscripts on research projects; publish in peer-reviewed journals.
- Write papers and abstracts detailing research efforts and results for publication in peer-reviewed journals; prepare PowerPoint presentations as appropriate.
- Give posters and presentations detailing work at regional and national scientific meetings.
- Review, edit, and, as needed, write first drafts of papers, posters and manuscripts.
- Give posters and presentations detailing work at regional and national scientific meetings.
- Present results of clinical and experimental research at recognized scientific meetings by lectures and exhibits (poster sessions).
- Search existing literature for new and/or relevant techniques. 4
- Assist the lab staff in the creation and preparation of a variety of documents required by the lab’s scientific activities. 5
- Train staff on the proper usage of equipment. 2
- Train staff in a wide variety of techniques used in the laboratory. 3
- Provide scientific and technical expertise to all visiting fellows, post-docs, and technicians. 1
- Develop new protocols, complete experiments help analyze data.
- Meet with lab members to present updates.