Columbia University - New York, NY
posted 4 months ago
The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time Assistant Research Scientist position for its intermediary organization, the Laboratory of Maura Boldrini, MD, PhD at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC). This position will focus on single cell and spatial multiomic techniques, including proteomic, wet and computational lab procedures, and data analyses. The role will also involve validation experiments using various methods such as immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry (IHC), confocal microscopy, stereology, RNAscope® in situ hybridization, Western Blot, and related quantitative analyses. The laboratory aims to understand brain cell type-specific regulation and translate fundamental discoveries into precision medicine for brain disorders with unmet medical needs. Current projects include research on brain aging, Alzheimer's disease, mood disorders, suicide, environmental stress, and the effects of COVID-19 on brain health. The Assistant Research Scientist will be expected to demonstrate attention to detail, fast learning abilities, and experience in wet and imaging lab techniques. Strong data management skills and excellent organizational and team-building abilities are essential. The position also requires proficiency in English, both written and spoken, as teaching opportunities will involve working with students and contributing to publications. Previous successful candidates have advanced to prestigious MD, PhD, or MD/PhD programs after their tenure in this role. The responsibilities include preparing brain tissue for single nucleus and slide-mounted spatial RNA and ATAC sequencing, performing multiplex immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, and conducting RNAscope® in situ hybridization and Western blotting. The imaging lab work will involve brain tissue imaging and quantification using confocal microscopy and stereology with MBF Inc. Stereoinvestigator and Neurolucida software. Computational tasks will require coding using software commonly used for genomics studies, such as R and Python. Additional responsibilities include operating cryostats and microtomes, maintaining inventory of lab supplies, performing data reporting and presentations, conducting literature searches for papers and posters, and participating in manuscript writing and poster presentations. The candidate will meet daily with the Principal Investigator (PI) and participate in weekly lab meetings.