Assistant Specialist

The Fierro lab within the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, seeks to hire one, full-or-part time employee as an Assistant Specialist. The incumbent will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions in stem cell and skeletal biology.

The position of Specialist has a narrow focus in a specialized area and provides technical or specialized expertise (e.g., with instrumentation and research equipment or with social science research methods) in the planning and execution of interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions in stem cell and skeletal biology.

The Specialist stays apprised of emerging issues and problems and maintains technical competence in the designated area(s) of specialization. Within this defined area and when appropriate, the Specialist is expected to provide leadership, facilitate teamwork, and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and to supply input into the planning of research and educational programs. Normally, Specialists do not have Principal Investigator (PI) status but may obtain permission by exception and/or collaborate with a PI in preparing research proposals for extramural funding.

The incumbent will work under the supervision of Dr. Fernando Fierro and work cooperatively and collegially in a diverse environment.

This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications.

RESEARCH IN SPECIALIZED AREAS (90% EFFORT)
This position requires creative contributions to and collaborative development of an active research program investigating topics relevant to the research area of orthopedic methods and applications. Topics include study of stem cells, mitochondrial function, polyamine metabolism, and mouse models, optimization of data acquisition and processing, data handling and analysis, and consulting with physician scientists on orthopedic research.

The incumbent will help to determine research goals in consultation with the Principal Investigators. The Assistant Specialist will design specific projects, including the selection of appropriate methods and techniques. In some cases, the appointee may supervise students or technicians regarding the technical aspects of the research, including methods development, troubleshooting problems, interpreting results, and planning follow-up experiments. The appointee collaborates with scientific colleagues in multi-disciplinary projects that include components falling within the appointee’s area of expertise.

Position duties include analyzing mice and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from either human donors or the mice to infer how polyamine biology impacts osteoblastogenesis and skeletal health. The candidate must have experience in working with and handling germfree mice, microCT, mouse dissection, cell culture, biochemical methods (RT-PCR, Western Blots, ELISA, etc.), viral transduction, and recombinant DNA techniques.

The candidate will be expected to:
• Handle mouse breeding, induce recombination by tamoxifen administration, collect tissue and analyze collected bones by microCT and immunohistochemistry and biomarkers in sera by ELISA.
• Perform culture of mouse and human MSCs. Overexpress and silence genes using lentiviral vectors, and perform analysis of gene expression, protein levels, and osteogenic markers such as measurements of alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium phosphate precipitation.

Other research activities may include:
• Obtaining and maintaining appropriate laboratory and safety protocols
• Managing project budgets
• Write and submit progress reports to funding agencies
• Reviewing grants and manuscripts

Serve as a research coordinator for name and types of projects conducted by PIs in the laboratory and/or department, as resources permit. Responsible for ensuring uninterrupted communication between individual laboratories, data management and preparation of reports tailored to meet the needs of the requesting individual.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (5% EFFORT)
• The appointee will be expected to actively participate appropriate professional/technical societies or groups and other educational and research organizations.
• Review research proposals, journal manuscripts, and publications related to area of expertise.

UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5% EFFORT)
• They will be expected to participate and contribute to laboratory and group meetings, and other activities, as applicable.
• They will also be expected to participate in committees within the department, school, campus, and other University entities, as appropriate.