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We are currently looking for a talented and enthusiastic Laboratory Manager to join the laboratory of Dr. Matthew Dalva at the Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, PA. 

 

Dr. Dalva’s laboratory studies the mechanisms of synapse development and function in the brain and spinal cord. The structure of the nervous system varies tremendously across phylogeny; organisms such as the C. elegans function with a few hundred neurons, whereas humans have tens of billions. Yet communication in all neural circuits is controlled by a remarkably similar, highly specialized site of cell-cell contact known as a synapse. The long-range goal of my research is to discover how synapses are formed and lost, and what impact normal morphology and numbers of synapses have on brain function. Currently, my laboratory has a strong interest and background in super-resolution imaging and technology development. We have been using Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) to examine the nanoscale organization of the synapse. We have also developed a number of genetically encoded reporters that enable visualization of tyrosine kinase activity in living cells. Determining how synapses develop and mature will provide insights toward the understanding of neuronal networks and brain function. 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

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Research (70%):

• Perform research related to the molecular basis of synapse formation and development, pain biology, and disease. 

• Use molecular biology techniques to clone new constructs.

• Use Western blots to evaluate protein expression and protein interactions.

• Fix and stain samples for immuno-fluorescence microscopy.

• Generate gene-edited proteins using CRISPR/Cas9 in neurons. 

• Maintain multiple tissues culture cell lines, including ES and iPS cell lines. 

• Generate primary neuronal cell cultures.

• Collaborate with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the lab to pursue these research efforts. 

• Evaluate new techniques and technologies.

Administrative/Operations (30%):

• Manage day-to-day activities within the research laboratory, including such activities as ensuring operation of essential equipment and making sure adequate supplies are available for routine experimental procedures. 

• Act as liaison between the lab, and institution administrative offices on issues such as budget management, fixed asset inventories, use of host accounts, and so forth.

• Act as liaison between the lab and institution safety/regulatory offices to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.

• Maintain laboratory guidelines and procedural manuals.

• Train incoming lab team members on proper lab conduct, technical areas, and complex processes as needed. 

• Plan for and provide working supervision to Research Technician(s), other lab team members, and undergraduate students as needed. 

 

Qualifications

Education:
•     A bachelor’s degree in biological, biochemical, or biophysical sciences is required.
•     Advanced degree would be a plus.

Experience:
•     A minimum of 3+ years of lab experience including at least one year of supervisory experience is required.
•     Experience in molecular biology and cloning is required.
•     Experience in handling proteins, e.g. protein purification and Western blot analysis is  required.
•     Experience with mammalian cell culture is required.

 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
•     Strong operational knowledge of advanced lab equipment, including centrifuges, and confocal microscopes.
•     Strong oral and written communication skills.
•     Strong attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy in work.
•     Ability to supervise and train others.
•     Ability to initiate and compose communications for various purposes in an appropriate style.
•     Ability to develop instructional material for routine training purposes.
•     Ability to review goals, analyze processes, and develop techniques and systems required to 
meet those goals.
•     Ability to explore new areas and seek opportunities to apply new knowledge to work.

 

Interview process:

Interview will consist of two parts: First part will be one-on-one meeting with Dr. Dalva and current members of the laboratory to evaluate candidate’s scientific background, critical thinking and to learn about lab’s projects and expertise. Second part of the interview process will consist of hands on evaluation in laboratory techniques to evaluate the candidate’s expertise.  This evaluation may involve one or more of the following: PCR, DNA/Protein gel electrophoreses, familiarity with cloning/cloning software such as Snapgene or DNA strider, dissection of rat brain/preparation of cortical primary cultures, fixing/staining primary cultures, ability to use confocal microscope.

 

Interested candidates should email letter of interest, current CV and three letters or recommendation to Dr. Dalva: mdalva@tulane.edu

 

Additional Information 
 

Tulane is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.