Senior Stem Cell Lab Researcher - 126902

The Department of Medicine is responsible for fulfilling the teaching, research, and clinical missions of the University of California, San Diego and employs 500+ full-time salaried faculty members and 150+ academic appointees. Staff personnel include 800+ staff in 9 bargaining units, students, and volunteers. There are over 250 clinical faculties practicing at multiple sites and hospitals. Professional fee billings for the department exceed $50 million with collections of over $19 million per year. The total annual budget is approximately $200 million, which includes contract and grant revenues, clinical practice and medical center funds, and other state and private endowment funds.

Independently conduct research projects based on reviews of scientific literature and recent advances in related fields while contributing original/novel ideas of major methodological significance to projects, designing key experiments and developing new techniques. Specifically, manage the milestones of long-term projects involving cardiovascular development, differentiation and diseases utilizing mammalian and human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) systems. Plan, execute and follow-up on high level regular and ad hoc meetings of investigators and management. Author or co-author scientific journal manuscripts and book chapters. Report directly to funding agencies and journal editors. Prepare and implement research study budgets based on analysis of data. Direct, operate and maintain a cardiovascular stem cell core, including overseeing human induced pluripotent stem cell colonies, maintaining a database of all fibroblast and hPSC strains, ordering reagents for stem cell work as well as supervising lab personnel using this stem cell core. Manage a team in directing the cardiovascular stem cell core and provide reports after analyses has been performed.

Perform other responsibilities pertaining to job, including strategic and operational support, updating quarterly/annual progress reports, conducting evaluation meetings, monitoring progress via written reports and teleconferences, and establishing oversight advisory committees. Perform advanced novel cell biology, molecular biology and protein analysis. Conduct sample preparation from next-generation sequencing platforms. Create, maintain, transfect, select and analyze transgenic cardiovascular hPSC lines. Direct and advise the work of technicians, students, and post-doctoral fellows to enable them to successfully participate in laboratory projects. Independently write grant proposals to obtain further funding for experimental projects. Perform other duties as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced theoretical knowledge of stem cells, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, including experience in establishing, maintaining, transfecting, and selecting clones from primary patients samples and hPSC with expertise in sterile technique.

• Experience in technical supervision and training of students, post-docs, and technicians.

• Strong organizational skills, including experience in laboratory record keeping, budget analysis and managing logistics. Demonstrated knowledge of lab safety rules.

• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills including tack, diplomacy, and flexibility in order to work and interact effectively with staff, researchers, and management in person and on the phone.

• Advanced skill in experimental design and adaptation of methods to achieve results. Ability to integrate data from multiple sources to synthesize conclusions. Ability to read and abstract scientific articles and apply to the design of experiments.

• Demonstrated experience in contributing and implementing innovative ideas and techniques on complex and multi-disciplinary research projects.

• Advanced experience in designing, coordinating, executing, and analyzing data.

• Proven experience and knowledge in developing hypotheses, design experiments, conduct experiments, analyze data, write manuscripts, and publish results in peer-reviewed journals, including all interactions with Reviewers and Editors.

• Experience in procuring funding by designing and executing experiments, analyzing data and deriving conclusions, developing experimental plans based on results from those preliminary studies, and writing all components of grant applications. These components include Abstracts, Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Preliminary Studies, Research Design and Methods, Budgets, Personnel, Animal Protocols, and revisions of applications based on Reviewer’s comments.

• Demonstrated experience in managing multi-center projects and working under milestones driven projects, including knowledge in writing reports and experience in communicating with funding agency.

• Experience in the official review of manuscripts for publication in peer-review journals, and in the evaluation of grant proposals for potential funding.

• Proven ability to read scientific papers and adapt knowledge and techniques from the literature to experimental systems.

• Demonstrated experience in cardiovascular mammalian models to determine stem cell regeneration.

• Demonstrated experience in DNA and RNA extraction and use of extracted products in various PCR methods.

• Experience in designing and performing next generation RNA sequencing samples preparation and analyses.

• Superior experience in generating SOP and documentation required to provide guideline to team members. Skills to organize meetings and conferences.

• Expertise in building and managing biobanking of primary patient samples, including generating web page tracking sites for sample shipment and follow-up.

• Knowledge of PC software applications such as Word, Excel, Fastrak Schedule 10 and PowerPoint to produce reports, correspondence, graphs, and spreadsheets to generate, track, and analyze data.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with UCSD regulations, policies, and procedures.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.
• Must be willing to work extended hours.
• Must be willing to work with potentially hazardous materials.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $70,915 - $114,133 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $33.96 - $54.66

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).