Research Assistant | Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics

Rockefeller University

New York, New York

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
LOCATION
New York, New York
POSTED
30+ days ago
Organization Overview: Recent evidence suggests new genes can emerge from ancestrally noncoding sequences. These de novo genes acquire functions and, if they provide a selective advantage, spread within a population until they become fixed. The Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, led by Dr. Li Zhao, studies the origin and evolution of de novo genes, as well as their contribution to adaptive evolution, in both flies and humans. Overview:

The research assistant will be responsible for helping conduct research related to the functional evolution of newly evolved genes. The candidate will work closely with PI and trainees, provide scientific input to the project, coordinate lab operations, order supplies, and manage lab inventory.

 

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include:

  • Maintenance of Drosophila stocks
  • Molecular biology experiments
  • Sample and data collection
  • Phenotype characterization
  • Order supplies
  • Management of lab inventory
Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related field required 
  • The ideal candidate will be very well-organized, detail-oriented, focused, and highly motivated to work in both general lab duties as well as mentored and independent research projects
  • A willingness to learn is essential

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • An educational emphasis in genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, evolutionary biology, or related field preferred
  • Good writing skills are highly valued
  • Prior experience with Drosophila research is not required but is a plus

 

 

The Rockefeller University is an equal opportunity employer – veterans/individuals with disabilities. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal law, including but not limited to disability and protected veteran status.

 

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on various factors, including but not limited to organizational budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The hiring range provided represents The Rockefeller University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Compensation Range: Min: USD $50,000.00/Yr. Compensation Range: Max: USD $55,000.00/Yr.

About the Company

R

Rockefeller University

Founded by John D. Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was incorporated on June 14, 1901. It was the first institution in the United States devoted solely to biomedical research--to understanding the underlying causes of disease.

Today, renamed Rockefeller University, it is one of the foremost research centers in the world, contributing to 23 Nobel Prizes as well as numerous other awards.

Rockefeller University Community
  • 71 heads of laboratories
  • 200 research and clinical scientists
  • 350 postdoctoral investigators
  • 1,050 support staff
  • 150 Ph.D. students
  • 50 M.D.-Ph.D. students
  • 887 alumni
Areas of basic interdisciplinary research
  • biochemistry, structural biology and chemistry
  • molecular, cell and developmental biology
  • immunology, virology and microbiology
  • medical sciences and human genetics
  • neuroscience
  • physics and mathematical biology
Revolutionary accomplishments

Rockefeller University researchers achieved many of the last century's seminal advances in the biomedical sciences, including:
  • Discovering that DNA is the basic material of heredity (1944)
  • Determining that cancer can be caused by a virus (1911)
  • Confirming the connection between cholesterol and heart disease (1950s)
  • Developing methadone maintenance for people addicted to heroin (1960s)
  • Developing the AIDS "cocktail" drug therapy (1990s)
Seventy-four laboratories form the university's core
The university's laboratory-based organizational structure "without walls" and pared-down layers of administration do away with the schools and academic departments that too often separate scientists. "This approach fosters a tremendously rich soup of interdisciplinary research and collaboration," says Rockefeller professor and Nobel laureate Günter Blobel.

Acclaimed scientists
In its history, Rockefeller has been associated with 23 Nobel laureates and 19 Lasker Award recipients. Five faculty members have been named MacArthur Fellows and 12 have garnered the National Medal of Science, the highest science award given by the United States. And, 33 Rockefeller faculty are elected members of the National Academy of Sciences.

Partnerships with other leading institutions
Rockefeller has close ties with neighboring Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Additional academic partnerships with the Courant Institute of New York University and Bard College provide students with a rich array of training opportunities. Rockefeller forges collaborations with biotech and pharmaceutical companies as needed to speed research findings into development to improve patient care.

Clinical research hospital
In 1910, Rockefeller scientists founded the nation's first hospital devoted exclusively to experimental medicine. The Rockefeller University Hospital's only patients are participants in clinical trials building on basic research findings from Rockefeller labs. This "allows the university to maintain an unbroken spectrum of research, from basic to clinical," says Joshua Lederberg, Nobel laureate and Rockefeller president emeritus. Unburdened by constraints of standard patient care, the hospital is a vital component of Rockefeller's commitment to accelerating basic research findings on their route from bench to bedside for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. Studies are under way on AIDS/ HIV, obesity, hepatitis C and addictive diseases.

More than science
Artistic and intellectual activity flourishes on Rockefeller's campus. The verdant grounds, situated on Manhattan's Upper East Side, boast a world-class art collection. The university regularly hosts events designed to explore the intuitive connection between science and the arts.Weekly and monthly recital series grace the university's spectacular auditorium, and a variety of exhibits regularly take shape on campus -currently including sculpture on temporary exhibition from New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Select graduate student body
A class of Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. students from across the United States and the world works closely with international faculty in a rigorous, highly personalized program of graduate study and research. The university offers graduate students access and opportunities to work with leading scientists, as well as full financial support and affordable on- and off-campus housing.

University budget
Funding the research studies of The Rockefeller University's scientists are the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, private gifts and endowment income.

COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Education
FOUNDED
1901
WEBSITE
http://www.rockefeller.edu/