The Research Associate will work in the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital. The laboratory focus is on longitudinal surveillance studies on Gram positive organisms and main responsibilities will pertain to specific studies relating to Streptococcus pneumoniae. The laboratory cultures, isolates, and characterizes bacteria from specimens using biochemical, molecular and serotyping methods and also performs antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Duties will involve all of the above mentioned methods and also include performing quality control measures.

Job Duties

• Assist with quality control documentation, laboratory work for clinical studies
• Manage the laboratory flow of specimens, monitor quality control measures and report to the team on weekly meetings, perform clinical microbiology and molecular laboratory assays
• Perform microbiology/molecular biology methods including culture, isolation and identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, DNA isolation, PCR/qPCR, general laboratory maintenance and quality control, record keeping of isolates, specimens, etc
• Supervise some processes in the laboratory
• Informal supervision of students in the laboratory

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Basic Science or a related field. Experience in lieu of degree will not be accepted.
• Three years of relevant experience typically as a Research Assistant, Research Technician or Postdoctoral Fellow/Associate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in molecular or microbiology related field
• Laboratory experience including processing of clinical specimens and bacterial isolates, microbiology techniques such as isolating, staining and microscopy, biochemical tests and serotyping of bacterial isolates, development/validation and performance of qPCR assays, laboratory quality control procedures
• Experience with Excel and documentation skills
• Previous experience of clinical studies is a bonus
• Must be flexible and enjoy working in teams
• Strong communication skills are essential

Baylor College of Medicine requires employees to be fully vaccinated -subject to approved exemptions-against vaccine-preventable diseases including, but not limited to, COVID-19 and influenza.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

14896

CA; SN