Research Technician

Occasional early morning, evening or weekend work is required to accommodate time-sensitive experiments, cell cultures and timed mouse harvests.

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The Tsagaratou Laboratory, in the Department of Genetics and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, studies how epigenetic regulators - in particular the TET family of DNA dioxygenases - control the development, lineage identity and effector function of conventional T cells and of innate-like T cells such as iNKT cells. The laboratory uses conditional knockout mouse models, multiparameter flow cytometry, primary cell culture and genomic/epigenomic profiling to determine how the loss of these regulators reshapes immune cell identity and the response to pathogens and to cancer, and extends these findings to engineered cell ( CAR) immunotherapy.
The Research Technician will provide day-to-day experimental support for these projects and will take ownership of experiments from the bench through data analysis. Primary duties include assisting in mouse colony management, genotyping, dissection of mice and isolation of primary lymphocytes from various organs; antibody staining, sample acquisition on multicolor flow cytometers and FACS sorting; primary cell culture, retroviral transduction and adoptive transfer into recipient mice; DNA and RNA isolation and preparation of samples for downstream molecular and sequencing analysis; and analysis, quality control and presentation of the resulting data.
After training, the incumbent is expected to execute experiments independently, to troubleshoot protocols, to maintain detailed and reproducible records, and to present their own results at lab meetings and journal clubs. The position also includes reagent ordering and inventory, routine equipment upkeep, compliance with IACUC and Environment, Health and Safety requirements, and training other laboratory members in techniques the incumbent has mastered.
This is a mentored position well suited to a candidate preparing to apply to graduate or medical school. The incumbent will be trained directly by the Principal Investigator, will be supported in developing independent technical and analytical skills, and is expected to contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

Demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.

-Ability to work safely with biological materials
-The work requires fine motor control, manual dexterity, and sustained visual concentration at a microscope
-Requires standing or sitting for extended periods. The incumbent must be able to move up to 25 pounds.
-Duties to be performed with or without reasonable accommodation.

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.