Research Technician I

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The incumbent of this position will serve as a Research Technician I in the Collaborative Center for X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (CCXDP) within the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). This individual will participate in a broad range of experiments characterizing disease mechanisms underlying XDP, which is a rare neurodegenerative disease endemic to the Philippines. These studies will involve analyses of human patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models and postmortem tissue collected from individuals with XDP.

For cell modeling experiments, this individual will be responsible for propagating human iPSCs in culture and differentiating these lines into neuronal and glial lineages. These iPSC derivatives will be analyzed in multiple assays using combinations of molecular and biochemical readouts to identify cellular phenotypes associated with XDP.

For work with human XDP postmortem brain biospecimens, this individual will be responsible for preparing frozen tissue samples by cryostat sectioning, maintaining a detailed inventory of available biospecimens for distribution, and performing histologic and molecular analyses on processed samples.

The incumbent of this position will be expected to work independently with minimal supervision, participate directly in developing new methods and designing experiments, and carry out experiments and data analyses with precision.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Major job duties will involve:

• Maintains a detailed inventory of barcoded human post-mortem frozen tissue blocks and processed biospecimens in the center's biobank, with detailed tracking information related to receipt and distribution details.

• Processes frozen human tissue blocks to generate mounted slides and tissue aliquots for use in histologic, molecular, and biochemical experiments.

• Performs histologic and molecular assays on tissue biospecimens, while also contributing to ongoing experiments involving cell lines to complement studies of brain tissue.

• Carries out required biosafety procedures and maintains approved biosafety protocols as required for work with human post-mortem tissue.

• Propagates and differentiates human patient and control iPSC lines.

• Analyzes cellular models using assays based on high-content fluorescence imaging, western blotting, ELISA, qRT-PCR, and related biochemical and molecular techniques.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Must be able to work well as part of a team effort.

Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.

Demonstrated knowledge of standard software programs (i.e. Excel, GraphPad, Photoshop, Powerpoint, etc.).

Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Ability to effectively multi-task.

EDUCATION:

BA/BS in relevant biomedical discipline required; previous coursework in neuroscience and/or stem cell biology is a plus but not required.

EXPERIENCE:

Strong preference given to candidates with experience working with iPSC lines.

Basic molecular biological techniques (RNA and DNA isolation and analysis, PCR amplification, DNA transfection), and basic protein biochemical techniques (SDS-PAGE and western blotting, immunofluorescence) are also preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

All work performed in the MGH-East research campus in Charlestown, within a highly dynamic research group consisting of basic and clinical faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, technicians, and laboratory rotation students.