Research Specialist A/B (Department of Cancer Biology)

Research Specialist A/B (Department of Cancer Biology)

The Goodman Lab for Synthetic Immunology (https://goodman-lab.org/) is a new research group at The University of Pennsylvania. We are seeking highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates especially interested in synthetic biology, cell therapy, and immunoengineering to join our founding team. Our lab’s focus is on high-throughput genetic manipulation and measurement of primary immune cell populations, with the ultimate goal of improving cellular immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Goodman, the specialist will apply cutting-edge approaches to achieve these goals.

The selected candidate will help to set up lab protocols, processes, and equipment, and then will perform a variety of experimental techniques such as molecular cloning, cell culture (cell lines and primary cells), flow cytometry, and preparation of DNA libraries for high throughput sequencing. Successful candidates will have a strong background in immunology and molecular biology, be highly motivated, and have excellent organizational skills. They will receive detailed technical training from Dr. Goodman and will execute cellular assays to collect, analyze, and compile data in support of our research. This position provides an excellent opportunity for individuals considering graduate or medical school and offers extensive hands-on experience in biomedical research at the forefront of in-demand fields like cell therapy and immunoengineering.

Mentorship & Career Development Note: The Goodman Lab is committed to fostering career development in a supportive research environment. Dr. Goodman’s prior trainees have gone on to succeed in PhD and MD programs, join and found biotechnology startups, and pursue academic careers. Our lab culture is built on shared scientific curiosity, a mission to advance medicine through immunology, and building an environment where team members support one another while pursuing scientific excellence in a dynamic and welcoming research community

Position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Drive a research project by performing various investigative procedures (ex: collect, analyze and interpret data, and present data at group meetings)
• Collect, record, organize, and verify the accuracy of data; perform calculations and prepare charts, graphs, and reports.
• Help in the general running of the lab, including receiving items, generating protocols, and maintaining lab organization.
• Become familiar with the scientific literature and participate in group meetings
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications: Research Specialist A

• Bachelor of Science and 0 to 1 year of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Willingness and ability to work independently, learn new methods, and be engaged as part of a research team.
• Excellent skills in communication, organization, and time management.
• See preferred skills below

Qualifications: Research Specialist B

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and 1-3 years of relevant research experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Willingness and ability to work independently, learn new methods, and be engaged as part of a research team.
• Excellent skills in communication, organization, and time management
• The Research Specialist B will also demonstrate a higher level of independent work:
• Independently design, troubleshoot, and optimize experiments related to T cell engineering and synthetic immunology.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data with minimal supervision.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, presentations, and grant submissions
• See preferred skills below

Preferred

Skills

The following skills (e.g. through undergraduate research experiences or coursework) are preferred for candidates, in order of importance:

• Prior research experience in a related field (e.g., synthetic biology, systems biology, immunology, bioengineering, chemical biology, molecular biology, cell biology).

• Experience with the culture of mammalian cells (e.g., tumor cell lines, PBMCs, primary T cells).

• Experience in the design and assembly of DNA constructs (modern molecular cloning techniques such Golden Gate or Gibson Assembly).

• Experience preparing RNA and DNA high-throughput sequencing libraries (e.g. Illumina, 10X Genomics).

• Experience with the culture of mammalian cells (e.g., tumor cell lines, PBMCs, primary T cells).

• Experience in flow cytometry or cell sorting.

• Experience handling mice and performing experiments using in vivo mouse models of disease, especially cancer models.

• Experience with bioinformatics pipelines and visualization tools (e.g. Python and R).

• Job Location - City, State

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Department / School

• Perelman School of Medicine

• Pay Range

• $45,278.00 - $57,335.40 Annual Rate

• Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

• Equal Opportunity Statement

• The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

• Special Requirements

• Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

• University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your elig