Lab Assistant II - Medicine
The University of California, San Diego
About this position
Position Description
The Department of Medicine (DOM) is the largest department within the UCSD School of Medicine and is responsible for fulfilling the teaching, research, and clinical missions of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The department employs approximately 500 salaried faculty, 168 academic appointees, 331 residents, fellow and postdocs and 479 staff personnel. This Lab Assistant II will primarily support laboratory logistics, including the transport of clinical specimens to and from designated collection sites, coordination with staff and the public to ensure efficient sample handling, and maintenance of proper chain-of-custody and transport conditions to preserve sample quality. This position will drive between the lab and satellite locations to monitor and verify equipment performance, coordinate with vendors on equipment maintenance and repairs, and prepare, assemble, and restock specimen collection kits according to established protocols and maintain accurate logs and documentation throughout. Additional responsibilities include helping ensure laboratory spaces are clean, safe, and compliant with university regulations; assisting with general lab organization and equipment upkeep; tracking hazardous waste inventory and coordinating proper disposal; and monitoring, restocking, and unpacking lab supplies and stock solutions. On a more limited basis, the Lab Assistant II will assist with cellular and molecular biology techniques, including nucleic acid isolation, library preparation for RNA-Seq, standard/RT/real-time qPCR, RNA/DNA extraction and purification, protein electrophoresis, western blot, ELISA, and flow cytometric analysis, as well as basic cell culture tasks such as propagating and cryopreserving cell lines, preparing media and reagents, and assisting with transfections and primary cell isolation. Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and two years of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in Biology or related field and one year of laboratory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous lab experience in a research or academic setting. Attention to detail and strong organizational skills. Ability to prioritize workload and work independently and seek guidance or information when appropriate. Ability to maintain and protect confidentiality of participant information with working knowledge of mandated reporting procedures. Strong basic computer skills such as word processing and data entry, as well as experienceusing Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point; Adobe PDF. Proven effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills in English.