Job Description

The Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Division of the DOM is hiring for a Laboratory Research Specialist. The division is led by division chief Alison Morris, MD and Executive Administrator Emily Joseph. The division is made of up approximately 70 clinical staff and over 100 research staff who work in a variety of locations including: Bridgeside Point, Biomedical Science Tower (BST), UPMC Hospitals including Presbyterian, Shadyside, East, Jameson and Mercy. The division provides world class services across 10 inpatient services at five hospitals and over 70,000 outpatient office visits. We have a major research mission that focuses on basic, clinical, and translational research on the lung, microbiome, COVID-19, sleep medicine, and allergy and immunology.

The Pulmonary Division is seeking a Laboratory Research Specialist who will execute in vitro and in vivo lung injury and pneumonia models, maintain specialty trans-genic breeding colonies, manage crosses between mice strains to create new transgenic strains, and genotype strains by PCR. Will be responsible for data and record keeping, ordering supplies, chemical inventory, and lab maintenance. Will assist staff with murine experiments through management of treated mice, tissue harvesting, and sample processing. Will perform in vitro work including maintenance and transfection of primary and immortalized cell lines as well as independently treating, collecting, and analyzing results of cell culture experiments. Will facilitate compliance with IACUC, IBC, and EHS regulations and collaborate with other laboratories on specific techniques.

Job Summary
Performs a variety of independent laboratory work and experiments such as determining experimental protocols and preparation of specimens and cultures. Prepares reports of findings subsequent to compilation and analyzation. Oversees specimen inventory. Develops documentation for publication; crafts manuscripts and grant proposals.

Essential Functions
1) Mouse vivarium management including breeding, weaning, euthanizing, genotyping, and cataloging all cages (50%)

2) Wet bench responsibilities to include but not limited to ELISA assays, assistance with in vivo murine experiments, tissue harvesting and homogenate preparation, CFU counts, tissue slide preparation, sterile tissue culture, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence studies (35%)

3) Administrative duties including but not limited to managing yearly laboratory and IACUC inspections, ordering reagents and consumables for the lab, laboratory inventory management, laboratory maintenance, and ensuring compliance with IACUC, IBC, and EHS regulations (15%)

4) Must have impeccable and timely record keeping skills which are required for vivarium maintenance, experiment protocols, and data generation.

5) Will effectively communicate with and supervise laboratory members and collaborators to ensure compliance with laboratory safety standards and experiment protocols.

Physical Effort
Must have the ability to work at a laboratory bench for 8 hours a day for the full work week and standing for 1-2 hours for vivarium duties at least 3 times a week.