Research Assistant 2, Pediatric Gastroenterology

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 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 is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness 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:

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Job Summary:

The lab in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center is seeking to fill a Research Assistant II (RA II) position. The lab research focuses on the regulation of intestinal homeostasis as it relates to the gut microbial-host interaction and intestinal inflammation. This job requires practical understanding of scientific techniques and experience with scientific theory

REQUIRED:
• Bachelor’s (or equivalent experience)
• 2 years of relevant experience

You will work Monday-Friday, traditional daytime business hours (40 hours weekly) in the Cancer Department at the VUMC Medical Research Building IV located at 2213 Garland Avenue in Nashville, TN.

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DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Since its inception in 1974, our The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition has been dedicated to the comprehensive care of children and young adults with nutritional, gastrointestinal, or liver disorders. Our mission is to provide family-centered, state-of-the-art treatment for these disorders, to foster new discoveries that will change the manner in which they are prevented or treated in the future, and to train the next generation of physicians to become experts in our field.  For additional information, please visit https://pediatrics.vumc.org/gastroenterology-hepatology-nutrition.

Key Responsibilities:

• Under moderate supervision, conduct and evaluate experiments and assays.

• Understand and follow experimental protocols.

• Understand and follow experimental protocols. Follow all equipment manuals.

• Analyze and summarize experimental data/results, including recording, compiling, and interpreting data/results.

• Communicate data/results. Provide appropriate oral presentation and written documentation of experimental data/results as required.

• Maintain personal knowledge of scientific trends through literature reviews, attendance at meetings, conferences and seminars.

• Assist PI and/or lab team in modifications as directed.

• Prepare, operate and troubleshoot equipment in experimental procedures.

• Follow University safety protocols.

• Ensure laboratory is prepared for experiments. Maintain inventories and prepare reagents as required. Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and university guidelines.

• Prepare and provide written documentation of experiments and preliminary research progress reports.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant academic area.

Experience and Skills:

• Experience with cell and organoid culture, bacterial culture, Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, microscope usage, PCR assays, ELISA, apoptosis assay, and flow cytometry is preferred.

• Experience with animal studies is preferred.

• Excellent interpersonal skills with warmth, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity.

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: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

2 years

Education :

Bachelor's

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.