Associate Basic Scientist - The Center for Asthma Research

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Job Summary:

The Center for Asthma Research is seeking an exceptional and motivated Scientific Laboratory Director to join our dynamic clinical-translational research team dedicated to advancing discoveries in maternal-child health and asthma prevention. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in cutting-edge research aimed at improving lives and shaping the future of asthma prevention and treatment.

As a Scientific Laboratory Director, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of a collaborative and fast-paced laboratory, supervising a team of 1-2 research assistants, and ensuring the smooth execution of biospecimen processing, testing, storage, tracking, aliquoting, and shipping. In addition, it is the expectation that the Director will develop new scientific directions of the laboratory, including in vitro experiments using airway epithelial cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, to include in vitro infection. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and leadership skills, a passion for advancing scientific knowledge, and the ability to foster productive relationships with collaborators across the United States and with international collaborators.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lab Management: Provide oversight and leadership to a team of 1-2 research assistants, ensuring efficient workflow, adherence to protocols, and maintenance of a positive and productive laboratory environment.
• Scientific Advancement: Support the Center’s mission to advance its scientific agenda by contributing to innovative research projects and fostering a culture of inquiry and discovery.
• Biospecimen Processing: Conduct and oversee processing of maternal-child human samples, ensuring high-quality, reproducible results while adhering to rigorous scientific standards.
• Assay Development and Testing: Perform biospecimen testing and specialized assays to support research objectives, contributing to publications and presentations. Experience with or ability to develop assays for RSV serology is preferred.
• Cell Culture: Work with human airway epithelial cells (required experience) and PBMCs to advance translational research goals. Experience with in vitro infection of airway epithelial cells with respiratory syncytial virus is preferred.
• Collaboration: This position will be the professional face of our wet laboratory and requires building and maintaining effective partnerships with collaborators across the U.S., facilitating data sharing, research alignment, and communication between multidisciplinary teams.
• Organization and Reporting: Maintain accurate lab records, coordinate inventory management, complete annual compliance and training reporting, perform annual staff assessments of research assistant(s), develop lab-focused grant budgets and prepare reports for regulatory and scientific purposes.
• Teamwork: Work effectively in a team-oriented environment, promoting collaboration, mentorship, and mutual respect among lab members.

Why Join Us?
The Center for Asthma Research is home to an innovative and interdisciplinary team committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families. As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to work on groundbreaking studies, collaborate with leading experts across the country, and contribute to a mission-driven organization where your skills and leadership will be valued.

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Independently delivers on objectives with understanding of how they impact the results of own area/team and other related teams. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Utilizes multiple sources of data to analyze and resolve complex problems; may take a new perspective on existing solution. Breadth of Knowledge: Has advanced knowledge within a professional area and basic knowledge across related areas. Team Interaction: Acts as a "go-to" resource for colleagues with less experience; may lead small project teams.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas. - Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships. - Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them. - Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly. - Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches. - Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges. - Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

5 years

Education :

Doctorate

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.