Hourly Research Specialist - Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology is in a search of a Hourly Research Specialist to join the lab of Dr. Sammanda Ramamoorthy.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Mouse colony management, drug preparations, rodent handling, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous administration of drugs. Conducting behavioral assays, including place conditioning, Y-maze, warm water tail-withdrawal, hot-plate pow withdrawal, locomotor, and others as needed using our animal models to determine the behavioral differences and monoamine transporter function and expression between knock-in and wild-type mice models. Conduct all experiments efficiently, accurately, and according to lab protocol. Use animals appropriately and humanely, following all guidelines. Recognize unexpected or inconsistent results and seek assistance from the supervisor. Achieve consistent outcomes from experiments. Prioritize and coordinate experiment requests from lab managers. Exercise sound judgment and decision-making to determine appropriate procedures. Document results from each experiment thoroughly, accurately, and promptly. Compile data for reports, identify test outcomes, and integrate results with known literature. Perform literature searches, cataloging results and other materials. Clean and sterilize glassware and instruments according to lab procedures. Aseptically maintain cell cultures and cell lines. Make solutions when required, according to lab protocols. Monitor stock in the laboratory and notify managers when ordering is required. Maintain laboratory cleanliness. This position will sometimes involve weekend work.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in pharmacology, biochemistry, neuroscience, molecular biology, or a closely related field
• Must have good communication skills, a strong work ethic, and the ability to conduct thoughtful, independent experiments
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in past experiences or a commitment to do so as a hourly employee at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in mouse colony management, drug preparations, rodent handling, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous administration of drugs
• Conducting behavioral assays using mouse models, including place conditioning, Y-maze, warm water tail-withdrawal, hot-plate pow withdrawal, locomotor, and others
• Experience with transporter functional assays and western blot analysis is favorable

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.