Research Assistant- Hilton Laboratory

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

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At UBC we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research innovation and learning for all faculty staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
Assists with research activities to study regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rodent models. Duties include assisting with animal surgeries post-operative treatment and care of animals performing animal behavioural testing and analysis preparing tissue for histological analysis (embedding and cutting sections) assisting with cell culture immunohistochemistry and assisting with image analysis and data collection.

Organizational Status
ICORD is a world leading health research centre focused on spinal cord injury. From the lab-based cellular level of understanding injury to rehabilitation and recovery our researchers are dedicated to the development and translation of more effective strategies to promote prevention functional recovery and improved quality of life after spinal cord injury. Located at Vancouver General Hospital in the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre ICORD is supported by UBC Faculties of Medicine and Science and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. .

Based at ICORD the Hilton Lab is a multidisciplinary neuroscience laboratory dedicated to understanding the fundamental processes that prevent regeneration and restrict functional recovery following spinal cord injury.

The Research Assistant will work in a shared wet lab bench space with use of computer printer scanner etc. The majority of work will be performed in a large research lab or vivarium. All hazards associated with a typical research lab environment (for example: chemicals sharps allergens etc.) will be present but appropriate safety training will be provided.

The Research Assistant reports to Dr. Hilton and works under his general supervision. May receive instruction from experienced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as required during specific research tasks.

Work Performed

• Assists with animal surgery and post-operative care (including surgical prep subcutaneous injections monitoring post-surgical health and giving bladder care).

• Administers drugs to animals via injections and/or oral gavage.

• Performs animal behaviour tests including filming animals while they perform certain activities such as rearing catwalk food pellet reaching over ground locomotion.

• Analyzes the behavioural videos by digital measuring on a video screen or by descriptive observation and scoring.

• Performs research procedures including perfusions and tissue extraction histology (including embedding cryostat-sectioning and staining tissue) immunohistochemistry (staining tissue with fluorescent antibodies) microscopy (including digital scanning and archiving) image analysis using Photoshop Sigma Scan Excel etc. and data analysis and compilation.

• Performs other related duties from time to time as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Carelessness during the performance of research duties to could reduce the quality of research conducted in the lab and jeopardize the labs ability to secure future funding by competing for research grants.

Supervision Received
The Research Assistant will work independently from day to day and attend lab meetings as required. Depending on specific research task assigned work may be checked daily weekly or infrequently by the Principal Investigator.

Supervision Given
Although the Research Assistant does not actually supervise any other staff on a regular basis they may act as a resource for undergraduate work study and directed studies students and supervise volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives including perspectives in conflict with ones own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and skills related to equity diversity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor of Science degree with coursework involving neurobiology molecular biology neuroanatomy or psychology is an asset.

Demonstrated experience in animal handling and research is preferred; any experience working in a vivarium setting is also an asset.

Successful completion of UBC Chemical and Biohazard Safety Courses and Animal husbandry courses an asset.

Experience in data analysis with statistical software an asset.

Desired skills include: cryostat sectioning post-operative animal care animal behaviour experience tissue extraction immunohistochemistry and image analysis.

Demonstrated knowledge of MS Office Sigma Scan Sigma Plot and Photoshop an asset. Effective oral and written communication interpersonal and organizational skills and attention to detail are required.

Must be able to work both independently and within a team environment.