Salary: $5,218 - $8,000 per month

Shift: First Shift

Benefits: As an employee you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology serves as a regional resource for clinical laboratory services required for patient care, research and educational programs in laboratory medicine and pathology. The department now employs 1900 people who work at the award-winning University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center and many other clinical and research facilities in the area. The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement and natural beauty.

Our LABORATORY MEDICINE & PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT has MULTIPLE outstanding full-time positions for a Research Scientist 3 in the Greninger Lab. Dr. Greninger oversees three laboratories, including clinical virology, virology clinical trials, and virology basic sciences, so the job can be fluid depending on the rigors at the time. This is an awesome and highly involved position desirous of an applicant with tremendous energy, combining wet-lab and dry-lab work in the area of emergent viruses. The work generally involves excellent molecular biology, biochemistry, virology, and informatics skills to take on a multitude of responsibilities associated with protecting humans from viral disease. This specific position will involve research involving viral discovery and construction of metagenomic next-generation sequencing libraries along with high content phage display for serological profiling and analysis of said libraries. Viral characterization work will involve work in viral replication, viral-host protein-protein interactions, drug efficacy, viral evolution, and viral genome sequencing. Responsibilities include constructing and teaching others on the generation of next-generation sequencing libraries, analyzing sequencing data, visualizing data and programming figures, drafting of manuscripts and grants for submission, combined with follow-on wet-lab experiments involving gene synthesis, pseudovirus neutralization and entry assays, and protein purification.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Creation and optimization of metagenomic next-generation sequencing libraries for unbiased pathogen detection and viral genome recovery. Genome finishing of novel viruses, including optimization of high-throughput methods.
• Development of next-generation sequencing analysis pipelines for taxonomical analysis and viral genome visualization.
• Development of phage display serological profiling tools to investigate high-resolution interrogation of serological response, including creation of analysis tools.
• Perform high-level viral culture in novel culture models and reverse genetics work, analyze data compile results and draft reports for incoming research awards and contracts.
• Supervise and analyze quantitative viral load determination using RT-qPCR, qPCR, ddPCR, including optimization of new assays.
• Supervise performance of molecular procedures including but not limited to real-time PCR, Sanger sequencing, PCR product detection DNA sequencing and next generation sequencing.
• Host and teach scientists in above techniques from Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Peru, Brazil, Bangladesh, Senegal, Vietnam, India, Cameroon, Indonesia, Thailand and possible travel to these countries.
• Perform work accurately, precisely and meet test completion deadlines.
• Maintain complete, accurate, legible, secure records. Thoroughly document any modifications using appropriate document and version control.
• Analyze experimental data and report to the Director and Lab Supervisor; determine what modifications and follow-up experiments are necessary to generate relevant data.
• Identify long and short term goals; initiate research program/projects.
• Contribute technical knowledge when initiating new projects to determining feasibility of goals and objectives of the study.
• Contribute data and analyses for grant submissions.
• Perform preliminary experiments for assay development.
• Work with R, python, Geneious, Excel, and bash command line.
• Accommodate schedule changes to cooperatively accomplish required daily work, coordinate with Laboratory supervisor/manager.
• Collaborate with research team to create opportunities and ancillary research projects to enhance technical assay methodology or content through the expansion of existing or development of new projects.
• Review the scientific process of each research project, analyze issues, understand scientific procedures and statistical analysis; report data using graphs and charts.
• Provide ongoing feedback; identify development opportunities and actively solicit input on work methods.
• Prepare manuscripts for publication.
• Perform other duties as required.

REQUIREMENTS:

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Virology or Genomics.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prior mammalian cell culture experience.
• Prior coding experience.
• Previous experience with next-generation sequencing analysis and genomics.
• Strong written and communication skills.
• Ability to problem-solve and troubleshoot.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for stated requirements.

DESIRED:

• Proficient at R, python, and/or bash.
• Experience with other herpesvirus reverse genetics systems.
• Data analysis skills with basic statistical knowledge.

UW Medicine includes Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center - Montlake, UW Medical Center - Northwest, Valley Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine, and Airlift Northwest.

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT:

Employees of the University of Washington are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. View the Final candidate guide to COVID-19 vaccination requirement webpage for information about the medical or religious exemption process for final candidates.