Research Specialist

Overview

The ECU Brody School of Medicine is affiliated with Vidant Medical Center which is the flagship hospital for Vidant Health and serves as the principal teaching hospital for ECU. We treat more than , patients per year in a state-of-the-art ED at Vidant Medical Center. VMC is a + bed level 1 trauma center and regional stroke center.

In the Department of Emergency Medicine, our mission is to provide and continue to improve the quality of health care services whenever and wherever the patient needs them; to promote scholarly activity regarding emergency health care through education and research; and to maximize the accumulation and utilization of resources in order to accomplish service and scholarly activities, and promote the wellness and satisfaction of department members.

Our tertiary care catchment area includes more than 1.5 million people in eastern North Carolina, many of whom arrive via our integrated mobile critical care and air medical service. Our children’s ED opened in July and the children’s hospital opened in June . In September of , we extended our coverage to begin providing professional medical services at The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head, North Carolina.

Our current faculty members possess diverse interests and expertise leading to extensive state and national-level involvement. The emergency medicine residency is well-established and includes onboarding 12 EM and 2 EM/IM residents each academic year, for a total of 46. Job Duties Procedures and analysis:
The position will spend 55% of time performing research experiments investigating the consequences of secondary cell death and therapeutic interventions for this condition using in vivo and in vitro models. The main aims of the laboratory in which the position will work are:To investigate the mechanisms underlying the development of chronic pain following spinal cord injury, including the role of opioid peptides and other neurotransmitter systems in this syndrome.To identify means by which to disrupt the secondary cascade of cell death following spinal cord injury in an attempt to prevent the behavioral consequences of the injury.To test the efficacy of standard therapies in the treatment of neurotoxin exposuresTo develop new models of nervous system injury and pain. The above studies use various biochemical, molecular and behavioral techniques. The position is expected to be familiar with and independently perform small animal surgery (including induction of spinal cord injury, implantation of osmotic pumps and intrathecal cannulation), behavioral testing (including assessment of pain behaviors in rodents), general histological techniques (including tissue collection, fixation, cutting and staining) and one or more of the following techniques: Western blot, ELISA, RT-PCR, mass spectrometry or micro-array technology. The position will be trained and maintain all required certifications in animal handling and surgery. The position will identify and develop new techniques that will enhance the productivity of the lab through collaboration with personnel in other BSOM labs. The position will use computer programs to analyze all results/data. Familiarity with standard software packages is required (e.g. MS Word, Excel). Laboratory Management:
The position will spend 20% of time managing regular general maintenance of research laboratory and equipment facilities. The following procedures will be conducted by the position.Acquisition of animals for experimental use from appropriate source. An important aspect of this task is knowing delivery dates and order deadlines to insure animals are available as needed.Maintenance of all supplies and reagents. This task requires weekly inventory of the laboratory disposal of expired chemicals, placing orders for supplies/chemicals in short supply and proper labeling and storage of all chemicals/reagents according to ECU guidelines.Routine animal care, including daily inspection of experimental animals to insure proper health and overall condition, as well as administration of medications as needed.Precise recording of daily laboratory activity. This includes maintenance of an up-to-date laboratory notebook that catalogs animals ordered/sacrificed, tissue collected and its stage of processing, and laboratory expenditures.Producing and updating experimental calendar to be made available to all laboratory users.Supervision of students and resident physicians using laboratory equipment.General cleaning and upkeep of the laboratory and all equipment within the laboratory.Serving as point of contact for shared equipment including cryostat and all behavioral apparatus.maintenance of up-to-date regulatory records for all aspects of the lab.Interpretation/Evaluation of Data – 10%On a regular basis both the position and principal investigator will evaluate experimental results/data and preliminary interpretations will be discussed. The position will be responsible for creating initial representations of data to share with principal investigator at regularly scheduled meetings. The position will seek outside help with data interpretation as needed.Presentation of Results – 5%Results of independent research and the status of progress will be presented informally to the principal investigator once per week. The position will be expected to draft manuscripts pertaining to her/his research and proof manuscripts written by other investigators conducting related research. The position will represent lab by providing presentations at external meetings as needed.Financial Management – 5%Laboratory operating funds are derived from research grants and state supply budgets. The position will be responsible of tracking expenditures and alerting the principal investigator of possible shortfalls in funding. The position will obtain competitive quotes for purchases and be fiscally responsible when identifying items for purchase for the lab.Personnel – 5%The position will coordinate and work with students and resident physicians in the principal investigator’s laboratory. The position will serve as point of contact for all students and collaborators in the lab, ensuring that all lab users obtain and maintain the required training. Additional subordinates may be added as funds permit. The position will directly train and supervise users of shared equipment in the principal investigator’s laboratory. The position will attend all presentations given by laboratory personnel and provide feedback to the presenter. Minimum Education/Experience Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. License or Certification required by statute or regulation None Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education Research experience in neuroscience with use of general histological techniques preferred. License or Certification required by the Department None Special Instructions to Applicant Please ensure your full range of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience and education are listed on your application. Do not write ‘see resume’ on your application when completing the job duties section.If you answer the questions at the end of the application, please ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences to support your answers (see job duties section of previous employment).Failure to answer the questions at the end of the application will not preclude your application from being considered but may result in your application not receiving full consideration of your knowledge, skills, and abilities.Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Job Open Date 04/25/ Job Close Date - Positions will be posted until 11:59 p.m. EST on this date; If no closing date is indicated, the position will be posted until filled and may close at any time after the recruitment has been completed. 05/09/ Open Until Filled No

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