RECRUITMENT PERIOD
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The incumbent for this position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions in research on human and nonhuman primate brains at laboratory at the MIND Institute. The candidate will also summarize data, prepare figures, and have the opportunity to assist in writing manuscripts fo publication and grant proposals. The incumbent will also provide support for human brain banking programs (assist with donations, process brains, an organize storage and records).
General responsibilities include:
I. RESEARCH ACTIVITY (85%)
• Specific research and technical activities: Provide technical support for ongoing research projects that focus on (i) understanding the impact of maternal infection on offspring brain development (preclinical models) and (ii) the development of amygdala in autism.
• Section and mount tissue, perform immunochemistry on tissues, collect and analyze results, participate in lab meetings and discussions, analyze slides and collect data. Assist with writing journal articles and assemble background data needed for publications.
• Specific duties: Sectioning, mounting, and staining glass slides of human, monkey and rat tissues using various techniques including, but not limited to, cellbody and immunohistochemical stains. Using microscope systems for data collection and quantitative analyses of tissue using, but not limited to, light, fluorescence, confocal, and electron microscopy. Knowledge of chemical principles and basic laboratory techniques are required for this function. Maintain general use chemicals and cleanliness of the laboratory. Provide assistance to other technicians, students, and postdoctoral researchers.
• Brain Bank Support Role: Available weekdays, nights, and occasional weekends to process incoming human brain donations on short notice. This includes preparing space for tissue handling, precisely sectioning unfixed human brains, freezing tissues with the use of liquid nitrogen, and taking photos and detailed notes during sectioning and cleanup. Maintain storage and database management of brain samples. Assist in further processing of tissues such as sectioning human brains on a microtome, mounting on slides and staining. Preparing sections for distribution to other researchers, sectioning large pieces, and shipping to collaborators outside of university. Managing paperwork involved with tracking tissue, MTA’s and providing tissue reports to Medical Examiner. Specific professional activities: Histological processing of formalin fixed human brain tissue, including sectioning and staining,