Faculty.Instructor.Research - Full-Time

University of Pittsburgh

Research Instructor of Pathology

RANK/TITLE: 

Research Instructor of Pathology (non-tenure stream) (1-5 years of experience)

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION:

Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.  The successful candidate will lead an independent research program in liver pathobiology, and human liver cell isolations and perform teaching and service activities. 

DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The Research Instructor will work in the laboratory of Dr. Alejandro Soto-Gutierrez, the Center for Transcriptiona Medicine, and the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center. He/she will design and implement experiments for a project analyzing genetic polymorphisms using iPSC and CRISPR/Cas9 technology (NIH 5P01DK096990-08 Sub-Project 7268) and will perform human liver cell isolations and processing (NIH/NIDDK P30DK120531). In addition to conducting his/her own experiments, he/she will directly supervise and mentor two postdoctoral researchers in the laboratory as they carry out their respective research projects. Moreover, he/she will be actively involved in the isolation of human liver cells from explanted diseased livers such as cirrhosis, cholangipathies, and inherited metabolic diseases of the liver. Responsibilities will also include writing, revising, and submitting articles for publication, grant applications, patent applications, and regulatory protocols (IBC, IACUC, Radiation Safety). Finally, he/she will maintain several key laboratory equipment (hypoxic and regular cell culture incubators, epifluorescent microscope, plate reader, gel dryer, and qPCR machine) and will be involved with keeping the two laboratories functional.

In consultation with the PI, he/she will design and implement his/her experiments. To be able to do these experiments, he/she is expected to possess knowledge and mastery of specialized techniques such as reprogramming, maintenance, and differentiation of iPSCs; primary hepatocyte culture; CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing; single-cell RNASeq analysis; mRNA transfection; viral (lentivirus or adeno-associated virus) transduction; lipid nanoparticle-mediated gene delivery; and pulse-chase analysis using radionuclides. He/she must also have expertise in general molecular biology techniques such as DNA, RNA, and protein purification; cloning and bacterial transformation; reverse transcription; PCR and qPCR; Western blot; ELISA; and immunofluorescent staining and imaging. He/she will be expected to spend 30% of his time/effort on this responsibility.

He/she will directly supervise and mentor two postdoctoral research associates. He/she will help them in designing their experiments, interpreting their data, troubleshooting technical issues, and writing their manuscripts. He/she will also serve as a consultant to other members of the laboratory with respect to techniques that he/she is an expert on. He/she is therefore expected to have extensive knowledge as well as prior experience with teaching/mentoring students or other laboratory members in his/her previous positions. 

JOB DUTIES:

He/she will also help the PIs in preparing articles for publication, grant applications, patent applications, and regulatory protocols (IBC, IACUC, Radiation Safety). He/she is therefore expected to possess excellent writing skills as well as extensive experience in preparing these types of documents for research. He/she will be expected to spend 25% of his time/effort on this responsibility.

He/she will maintain several key laboratory equipment in the Rangos Research Center laboratory (hypoxic and regular cell culture incubators, epifluorescent microscope, plate reader, gel dryer, and  qPCR machine) and will be involved with keeping the two laboratories functional. He/she is therefore expected to have extensive knowledge of these laboratory equipment.

In consultation with the PIs, he/she will design and implement his/her own experiments. To be able to do these experiments, he/she is expected to possess knowledge and mastery of specialized techniques such as reprogramming, maintenance, and differentiation of iPSCs; primary hepatocyte culture; CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing; single-cell RNASeq analysis; mRNA transfection; viral (lentivirus or adeno-associated virus) transduction; lipid nanoparticle-mediated gene delivery; and pulse-chase analysis using radionuclides. He/she must also have expertise in general molecular biology techniques such as DNA, RNA, and protein purification; cloning and bacterial transformation; reverse transcription; PCR and qPCR; Western blot; ELISA; and immunofluorescent staining and imaging. He/she will be expected to spend 30% of his time/effort on this responsibility.

He/she will directly supervise and mentor two postdoctoral research associates. He/she will help with them in designing their own experiments, interpreting their data, troubleshooting technical issues, and writing their manuscripts. He/she will also serve as a consultant to other members of the laboratory with respect to techniques that he/she is an expert on. He/she is therefore expected to have extensive knowledge as well as prior experience with teaching/mentoring students or other laboratory members in his/her previous positions. He/she will be expected to spend 30% of his time/effort on this responsibility.

He/she will also help the PIs in preparing articles for publication, grant applications, patent applications, and regulatory protocols (IBC, IACUC, Radiation Safety). He/she is therefore expected to possess excellent writing skills as well as extensive experience in preparing these types of documents for research.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1.     MD, PhD degree or equivalent

2.     Training in medicine, liver biology, regeneration, hepatocyte function and differentiation, human liver cell isolation

3.     Work Experience of at least 1-5 years conducting independent experiments, data analysis and interpretation, writing skills and leadership in a collaborative environment.

4.     Excellent communication skills and the ability to teach at the graduate and postgraduate levels are highly desirable. 

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

TO APPLY:  Go to Talent Center at www.join.pitt.edu and search for requisition number 24002335 in the keyword.

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