Research Assistant and Post-doc positions available

The Nobis lab at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is broadly interested in mechanisms of seizure related breathing dysfunction and epileptogenesis.

We are hiring both post-doc positions and research assistants.

RA position

The research assistant position can be at the entry level (college graduate) or with some experience. 

Reporting directly to the Principal Investigator the Research Assistant will interact with faculty, staff, and students within the laboratory. The RA would be expected to perform experiments under moderate supervision and direction from the PI as well as assist in managing the lab including operations, ordering, and inventory. This would entail but is not limited to management of mouse colony and breeding, assisting and performing stereotaxic mouse surgeries and post-operative care, dissection of mouse tissues, operating a cryostat for generation of tissues sections, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescent/confocal microscopy to capture images of neurons, isolation of RNA and RT-PCR. Project responsibilities will also include working with mouse lines and maintaining a breeding colony including DNA isolation, genotyping, and timed matings. Limited mouse behavioral work such as scoring seizure videos or behavioral assays. May assist in analysis of electrophysiological recording data or perform slice calcium imaging and analysis.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work with others and individually.
• Reliable and professional attitude.
• Eager – Enthusiastic, wanting to learn, wanting to continue one’s personal and professional development and expertise.
• Experience with the care of rodents.

Key responsibilities

• Mouse colonies management
• Previous experience with rodent colonies management is preferred
• Any experience with molecular techniques such as PCR, genotyping, and cataloging of transgenic mice
• Experience with western blot, perfusion, dissection of mouse tissues, immunohistochemistry is preferred
•  Maintain inventories
• Prepare reagents
• Takes initiative in delivering results on time and responding to needs of the team
• Communicate effectively with lab members

Post-doc position 

The Nobis lab is also hiring post-doctoral fellows. Opportunities exist for training in experimental approaches including patch clamp and extracellular recording, calcium imaging, multi-electrode array recordings, in vivo calcium imaging and biochemical and molecular profiling using rodent brain slices to study epilepsy and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients.

Key qualifications

• Candidates with an MD or Ph.D. in neuroscience or related fields
• Candidates with experience with electrophysiology, imaging, stereotaxic mouse surgeries, and video-EEG are encouraged to apply.
• Highly value self-starter, able to work with a team, and high enthusiasm for science

Interested candidates should send a CV and short statement of research interests