WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY
Works under minimal supervision to provide responsible technical assistance in performance of assignments requiring basic knowledge of techniques and practices related to particular field of science.

A full-time research technician position is immediately available in the laboratory of Dr. Benjamin Drapkin at UT Southwestern. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in pursuing a future career in science and/or medicine. Dr. Drapkin is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, and his laboratory is in the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research. The Drapkin laboratory focuses on small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a common malignancy with a poor prognosis, for which little progress has been made in the past 40 years. Translational projects in the lab will focus on testing and developing new, targeted therapies for SCLC using patient-derive xenograft (PDX) models and generating new models for this disease (Pal Choudhuri et al. Cancer Discovery 2018). The candidate will take responsibility for research projects under close supervision of the senior scientist in the lab, Dr. Pal Choudhuri, as well as Dr. Drapkin.  

Tasks will include: Technical (1) work in vivo in mice to assess drug responses in mouse models, establish tumor xenografts, image these tumors using MRI or other techniques, and harvest tumor samples, (2) work in tissue culture including establishment and maintenance of cancer cell lines, cryopreservation, assays of drug treatment responses, plasmid transfections and lentiviral transduction, and (3) performance of standard molecular and cell biology techniques including extraction of nucleic acids and proteins for targeted and genome scale molecular profiling, fluorescence microscopy and immunohistochemistry, plasmid cloning, and site-directed mutagenesis via CRISPR. General (1) organize and accurately maintain written and electronic records of experimental procedures and data collection, (2) interpret and present experimental results, (3) participate in and present data at weekly lab meetings and journal clubs, (4) assist in preparation of manuscripts resulting from technical work.

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Required

• Education
  Bachelor’s Degree With major coursework in field of assignment and no experience or
  Two (2) years of college with emphasis in coursework in field of assignment or
  High School Diploma or GED

• Experience
  No experience required with Bachelor’s Degree or
  2 years Of laboratory experience at level of Laboratory Technical Assistant or equivalent with two (2) years of college or
  4 years Of laboratory experience including two years at level of Laboratory Technical Assistant or equivalent with High School Graduation/GED

JOB DUTIES

• Performs routine scientific and medical research work in science area such as biology, chemistry, physics, or other related scientific field.
• Assembles and/or operates various laboratory equipment and apparatus.
• Records research data in accordance with prescribed procedures, discussing results with supervisor.
• Assists in collection of data for project reports.
• Reads literature and confers with supervisor concerning implementation of new procedures.
• May plan for, and provide working supervision to, work of laboratory personnel of lower grade engaged in limited phase of research project.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT
Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO Statement
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.