Research Assistant – Neuroscience Initiative– Advanced Science Research Center

Position Title:              Research Assistant – Neuroscience Initiative– Advanced Science Research Center

Job ID:                         22056

Compensation:            Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Closing Date:                October 23, 2020

The Graduate Center, CUNY is the focal point for advanced teaching and research at The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. With over 35 doctoral and master’s programs of the highest caliber, the Graduate Center fosters pioneering research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and prepares students for careers in universities and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. The Graduate Center’s commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), a 200,000 square-foot facility in upper Manhattan, designed to promote collaboration among scientists in five areas of global research and innovation: nanoscience, photonics, structural biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.

The Graduate Center (GC) benefits from highly ambitious and diverse students and alumni—who in turn teach hundreds of thousands of undergraduates every year. Through its public programs, the Graduate Center enhances New York City’s intellectual and cultural life.

The City University of New York's newest facility, the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), boasts the success of the University's rich past, in building a Center of Excellence for scientific research. With a focus in the fields of Nanoscience, Photonics, Structural Biology, Neuroscience, and Environmental Sciences, the ASRC operates as a center of development of an integrated research network that brings together faculty, students, and post-doctoral fellows to perform cutting-edge science. The goal is to educate trainees in becoming the new leaders of tomorrow, by providing growth in increasingly inter-related disciplines of applied science.

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position to join the Neuroscience Initiative. Reporting to Dr. Pinar Ayata, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Initiative, the Research Assistant will actively participate in laboratory’s important research. The primary duties will involve designing and executing experiments for projects focused on the cellular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the environmental impact in mouse models of neurodegeneration.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Adheres to standards for safety and hygiene and ethical conduct as defined by the University and relevant outside parties.
- Assists in maintaining inventory of supplies, equipment and/or reagents. Assist with ordering supplies/equipment/reagents as authorized or ensure that needs are escalated appropriately.
- Receives supply orders and confirms accuracy of delivery.
- Collects, analyzes, and assures validity of data independently and reports to direct supervisor.
- Ensures a clean working area and is responsible for washing and storing glassware.
- Performs routine molecular biology laboratory procedures, such as qPCR, DNA electrophoresis, DNA and RNA preparation and Western Blots. Skills in cloning and virus preparation are preferred.
- Performs primary cell culture experiments.
- Helps perform microscopic imaging analyses using confocal microscope.
- Maintains mouse colony management, including genotyping, maintaining, and expanding transgenic colonies.
- Performs related duties as assigned

General Duties:

- Supports research projects and activities in connection with CUNY programs. 

- May assist faculty research groups by configuring and testing equipment, collecting and organizing data, and preparing documentation. 

- Performs direct research tasks under supervision. 

- May develop or utilize computer-based systems to collect and analyze data.

- May assist in preparing reports of research findings.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience relevant to the research being performed.

Other Qualifications: 

The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills and professional competencies:

- A B.S or M.S. degree with minimum 2 years of experience in specific research areas (e.g., molecular biology, biochemistry) is essential. Additional experience with extensive bench lab work is preferred. Background in neuroscience is a plus.
- Candidate must have significant experience in mouse colony management.
- Candidate must have significant experience in molecular biology. Experience with genome wide sequencing is a plus.
- Flexibility in work schedule to accommodate experimental need that may occur on any day of the week.
- In-depth knowledge of the scientific principles, methods and processes (technical and/or theoretical) used to conduct scientific research-- including experimental design, methods of data collection and analysis, and interpreting and reporting results.
- Demonstrated expertise at working across and within disciplines.
- A proven team player, able to collaborate and motivate successfully.
- Ability to plan workload effectively.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Confident and competent experimentalist.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work well independently or as part of a team.

How to Apply:

Go to http://cuny.jobs/ and search for Job ID 22056.

Click on "Apply Now" below which will bring you to the registration screen. If you are a new user, you must register to apply. If you already have a user ID, please use your existing ID to apply. Make sure to upload a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three (3) professional references (name, title, organization, phone number, and email). Please upload all documents in Word or PDF format.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply.  At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups.  Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.