Lab Technician

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed at: Faculty & Staff Benefits .

Location - North Campus Edmonton. This role is in-person.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department/Faculty 

The University of Alberta is home to North America’s only freestanding Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. We provide academic training in Rehabilitation Science, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology. Our researchers lead their field in areas such as spinal cord injury, mental health, robotics, language development, and the impacts of COVID-19.

Position 

This position will provide support to the Fouad Lab. The laboratory conducts research in the field of spinal cord injury using rats and mice as animal models and using data sets from collaborators.

This position will include providing support in areas such as data collection, organization and documentation as well as general laboratory operations. Animal care, maintenance of the animal facility, and behavioural testing is an integral part of this job. Therefore, this position requires an individual who enjoys working with data, as well as with animals in a laboratory setting.

This position will involve gathering, organizing and documenting data by processing CNS tissue, including cryo-sectioning. Additional duties include preparation of solutions and maintenance of the laboratory.

Duties 

Data acquisition and documentation:

• Provides support for ongoing research projects by collecting and organizing data from previously published manuscripts and unpublished datasets
• Creates spreadsheets with large amounts of data without mistakes
• Collects, organizes and documents research data for data sharing and manuscript preparation
• Thoroughly validate and examine data for errors or inconsistencies
• Safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of data
• Participates, presents and discusses research results in weekly laboratory meetings
• Performs and learns new techniques for experiments to meet research objective
• Provides data management support for ongoing research projects

Animal care and experimental procedures:

• Provides animal care according to CCAC guidelines
• Maintains the animal room(s) and cage changing schedules
• Assists during surgery 
• Assists in tissue dissection, fixing, processing, sectioning, staining and analyzing

Lab maintenance:

• Ensures communal work spaces are kept uncluttered, safe and clean 
• Adheres to Biohazard safety standards through the proper handling and waste disposal of potentially hazardous chemical and biological agents.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as requested by the principal investigator

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. degree or a comparable degree including lab research experience.
• Minimum of one year of lab animal husbandry and handling or animal related activities (e.g. Veterinary Hospital) is required.
• Completion of U of A Biosafety and Lab safety courses are mandatory within the first month of hire.
• Completion of CCAC Pt 1 Ethics, Pt 2 Protocol Species specific is required within 6 months of hire.
• Meticulous data entry, organizational and time management skills
• Excellent knowledge of word processing tools and spreadsheets (MS Office Word, Excel and Google Applications)
• Ability to work well independently as well as part of a team; willingness to learn new skills.
• Demonstrated proactive organizational and excellent time management skills with demonstrated problem solving and multi-tasking abilities with the ability to meet deadlines and prioritize work effectively
• Strong interpersonal skills and verbal / written communication skills
• Demonstrated superior attention to detail and high levels of accuracy are required

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.