Technician I (Pokam Lab)

Job Description

Our Committment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experience.

Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are : Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who we are

The Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics is one of four basic science departments within the Texas A&M University School of Medicine.

Program strengths within the department include brain development, cellular / molecular basis of drug addiction, circadian biology, ocular pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, neurobiology of aging, acute brain and spinal cord injury models, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The Pokam lab is adjacent to many interdisciplinary groups of investigators who focus on the processes that cause neurological disorders ranging from epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, and Parkinson’s disease.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a candidate to build a research program through innovative science that can embark on an independent career.

What we want

The Health Science Center (HSC) is looking for a Technician I to serve as a member of the Sawant-Pokam lab in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine at Texas A&M University.

Under general supervision, Technician I assists in planning research on support laboratory methods and techniques, carrying out procedures, and recording results for a series of closely controlled experiments.

The successful applicant will be a highly motivated technician for an NIH-funded project focused on cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying network excitability following traumatic brain injury.

What you need to know

Salary : Compensation will be commensurate to the selected hire’s experience.

Required Education and Experience :

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Knowledge of laboratory equipment, scientific apparatus, and computer equipment

Ensure attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications :

Ability to perform ultrasound experiments in animals

Bachelor’s degree in science field

Responsibilities :

Basic Science Research Duties

Conducts experiments and technical procedures.

Assists with planning and supervising technical operations.

Makes complex chemical and physicals analyses which, although they follow standard procedures and test, may require the exercise of some ingenuity and improvisation.

Performs basic surgical techniques and tissue harvest in pigs and mice; maintains animal logs.

Uses computer for controlling equipment and compiling data.

May supervise the care of research animals; performs minor animal surgery or collects animal tissues and specimens for laboratory analysis.

Performs specialized tests and procedures using complex equipment.

Laboratory and Equipment Maintenance

Prepares laboratory reagents / solutions and monitor / maintain laboratory equipment to ensure continued usable function.

Coordinates day-to-day laboratory maintenance including organization of laboratory supplies and documents / safety manuals.

Performs general laboratory cleaning including benches and glassware.

Maintains laboratory inventories and place laboratory orders.

Uses computer for equipment / reagent and literature searches.

Coordinates experiment schedules with lab personnel / collaborators involved in the research projects.

Data Analyses

Keeps detailed records of observations, measurements, and data.

Makes statistical calculations, analyzes data and prepares reports summarizing results.

Performs other duties as assigned.