Research Post Doc Fellow - Neuroscience

Job Description Summary A laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience focused on understanding mechanisms associated with alcohol addiction is recruiting a technician to provide support in their ongoing studies. The job duties involve planning and carrying out routine experiments and techniques. This encompasses the organization and performance of behavioral studies in rats and mice, oversight of regulatory and compliance issues, and standard operating protocol implementation and development. Studies include behavioral research including voluntary alcohol drinking, as well as behavioral testing using models of stress, anxiety and aggression. The technician will also be required to handle rodents and maintaining animal colonies. Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC - Univ) Worker Type
Research Grant Cost Center
CC000984 COM NEURO RES Operations CC Pay Rate Type
Hourly Pay Grade
40 Work Shift
A laboratory in the Department of Neuroscience focused on understanding mechanisms associated with alcohol addiction is recruiting a technician to provide support in their ongoing studies. The job duties involve planning and carrying out routine experiments and techniques. This encompasses the organization and performance of behavioral studies in rats and mice, oversight of regulatory and compliance issues, and standard operating protocol implementation and development. Studies include behavioral research including voluntary alcohol drinking, as well as behavioral testing using models of stress, anxiety and aggression. The technician will also be required to handle rodents and maintaining animal colonies.

Prior experience in preclinical rodent research is preferred, but not mandatory.
Guideline and Supervision:
The candidate will be directly supervised by the Principal Investigator and other senior lab personnel

30% - Perform various experimental procedures including, but not limited to, executing behavioral protocols (testing mice on cognitive tasks) and alcohol self-administration studies, administering drugs by various routes of administration (injection, inhalation, infusion), preparing drugs and solutions, conducting stereotaxic surgery to implant chronic indwelling cannula in mice for long-term recordings or behavioral manipulations, facilitate data collection for fiber photometry and in vivo electrophysiology studies from mice during tasking measuring cognition, alcohol drinking, and anxiety-like behaviors.
20% - Perform various procedures for tissue and fluid specimen collection (e.g., brain slicing, brain extraction, blood collection), wet lab techniques including western immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, RNA extraction and PCR, advanced microscopy techniques including confocal and light sheet microscopy in rodent brain tissue, and 3D image analysis using Imaris and other analytical software.
15% - Preparation and oversight of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) and IACUC/IBC protocols, including writing and editing of laboratory procedures and submitting amendments to the IACUC/IBC protocols. Responsible for data management, including the collection, organization, and maintenance of behavioral and biological data sets within laboratory notebooks, servers and online document storage devices, as well as graphing and statistical analysis of data.
20% - Administrative duties include lab organization and cleaning of working benchtops, supply ordering, animal ordering and inventory, coordinate and manage the behavioral testing rooms and animal breeding colony, maintain and schedule service for laboratory equipment, and perform daily animal husbandry activities to maintain the health of animals in support of the research program and according to regulatory policies.
10% - Prepare, coordinate and manage studies and equipment access across all laboratory staff (technicians, students, postdocs, PIs) – this includes planning and communicating effectively. Maintain online scheduling calendars for equipment and room use.
5% - Supervise staff and maintain regulatory compliance by ensuring that staff follow standard laboratory procedures.
A high school diploma and two years work experience in a clinical or research setting; a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, or other natural, life or health care science may be substituted for the two years of required experience. Continuous - 6-8 hours per shift; Frequent - 2-6 hours per shift; Infrequent - 0-2 hours per shift) Ability to perform job functions in an upright position. (Frequent) Ability to reach in all directions, stretch, bend, while moving items/materials from both sitting and standing positions. (Continuous) Ability to lift materials up to 20 lbs., Infrequent) Ability to lift and carry 4 liter waste material bottles a distance of 30 feet, unassisted. (Infrequent) Ability to lift file boxes, from floor level to counter tops, unassisted. (centrifuge rotors from floor level to height of 40 inches, then down 20 inches into centrifuge drum, unassisted. (boxes, from floor level to maximum height of 72 inches, unassisted. (Infrequent) Ability to push/pull file boxes from one location to another at floor level. (Frequent) Ability to maneuver heavy equipment on bench tops, 50 lbs. Continuous) Ability to work in a darkroom for processing film, etc. (Ability to work rotating shifts as required. Ability to work overtime as required. Ability to learn and use new processes, tools and equipment as required. The Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need.
Medical University of South Carolina participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees.