"Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional"

Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Department: Pediatrics

Job Title: Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional

Position #: 00842099 - Requisition #:38273

Job Summary:

The Barber Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional will collaborate with and support the Principal Investigator (PI) and other stakeholders with laboratory and research functions, especially as it pertains to animal work and routine laboratory administration. They will utilize a variety of laboratory techniques required for research projects, perform experiments, and analyze research, support analytical testing processes in the collection and review of conditions, including preserving samples, completing sample preparation, and documenting and communicating results. Specifically, they will support projects focused on neuroscience and mouse model research. The bulk of the required training will be provided on-the-job by our team members. We are seeking an individual who will primarily work both with mice and at the bench and will interface with the whole research team. Our ideal candidate is excited to learn new skills and has had recent coursework in a premedical or STEM field.

The Barber Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional will not directly supervise any other team members but will work closely in a team environment with graduate students, faculty, staff, and supervisors to support the lab's overall mission and specific projects.

The Barber Entry Laboratory Sciences Professional will report directly to Dr. Danielle Barber and work closely with the entirety of the Barber lab team. They will work regularly with collaborators in the Section of Child Neurology and the Department of Pediatrics, as well as with others across the CU Anschutz School of Medicine and other academic institutions.

Key Responsibilities:

Perform Research Experiments and Maintain Mouse Research (60%)

• Colony Management: Maintenance of breeders and weanlings; euthanasia; monitoring sick/injured mice; weaning; genotyping or acquiring tissue for genotyping; ear tagging mice for identification; maintaining colony size to a reasonable amount based on needs; cage cards requests.
• Colony Paperwork: Maintenance of appropriate spreadsheets; creating a bi-weekly census of litters; removing/adding mice as needed; updating mouse status based on breeding/lab personnel reservation/cage number/room change; updating genotypes as received from Transnetyx; purge of old animals to keep the database running smoothly; ensuring billing is correct.
• Complete a colony census once per month for their lab(s) and implement breeder planning for their lab.
• Providing services such as surgical assistance, hypoxia monitoring, and mouse behavior assessments; providing animal care related to research studies, as necessary.
• Perform lab-based tasks, including but not limited to making solutions, sectioning mouse brains, mounting brain sections onto slides, staining slides, microscopy, and image analysis following pipelines as directed by Dr. Barber.
• Perform pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical test processes and evaluate the results produced.
• Regularly update written protocols, inventories, and lab notebooks to record and communicate experiments performed.

Execute Routine Lab Tasks (20%)

• Conduct biohazardous waste disposal, safety procedures, and laboratory equipment maintenance to support a clean and safe research environment, in compliance with CU Biosafety guidelines.
• Maintain regular inventories of laboratory supplies and samples.
• Provide protocol assistance and add people to the protocol as needed.
• Prepare lab for daily operations, including stocking materials, equipment, safety, cleanliness, and related areas.
• Pick up, transport, and maintain results, samples, documents, materials, and other items as needed.
• Dispose of laboratory materials and samples using well-established guidelines and instructions.
• Order laboratory supplies as needed and maintain working stocks of custom in-house reagents.
• Review and implement lab support policies, practices, and programs to meet organizational, operational, and management needs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; receive guidance and direction or escalate when required.

Communicate Data Procedures, Results, and Next Steps (20%)

• Perform basic data quality checks on experimental data collected.
• Troubleshoot issues in experimental results as needed, with the assistance of the supervisor.
• Present experiments performed and data collected to team members at regular internal meetings, directly with PI, and weekly lab meetings.
• Coordinate meetings with lab personnel to communicate regularly and ensure their research needs are being met; being able to work with lab personnel to ensure mice are being used and not aging out; sending follow-up emails, when necessary, after meetings with lab personnel to make sure everything was clear; and working with lab personnel to make sure their needs are met.
• Expansion of current knowledge-learning additional things, such as in-house genotyping, more about lines/experiments being done in the lab, and how to assist with those, and more about genetics and strain creation/breeding schemes.
• Review, complete, and process logs, documents, databases, and related materials and information.
• Provide support by researching issues and developing recommendations to resolve processes, units, and related issues.

Work Location:

Onsite - this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, CO.

Why Join Us:

With an abundance of sunshine and mountains nearby, the Colorado Front Range is the place to be! The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus ranks among the top 20 medical centers in the country. CU Anschutz has top-ranked clinical programs in family medicine and pediatrics, and the basic science and applied health research programs attract more NIH funding than any other university in Colorado. CU-Anschutz is home to the University of Colorado Hospital, The Children's Hospital of Colorado, and the University of Colorado Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Public Health, providing access to an array of possibilities to improve lives across a spectrum of ages and disease states.

Why Work for the University?
We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation, and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package, including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 10/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced-rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in neuroscience, biology, molecular biology, chemistry, genetics, pre-medicine, engineering, or a related field.

Substitution: A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Condition(s) of Employment:

• Willing to work occasional weekend hours.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience or background within a hands-on research environment, especially in experimental or wet lab approaches, or prior animal handling, preferably mice.
• Experience with RNA isolation and qPCR, protein isolation and western blots, enzyme activity assays, and ELISA protocols.
• Hands-on experience with cell culture, tissue preparation, and cryopreservation.
• Coursework focused on molecular biology and/or medicine, especially neuroscience.
• Coursework in statistics, computational biology, data science, or AI in human health.
• Experience with R software and/or Graphpad Prism software.
• Experience with spreadsheets, including data organization, clean-up, and analysis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of basic laboratory techniques, including safety procedures and techniques.
• Knowledge of basic human anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for presenting research findings and collaborating with team members.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
• Experience working effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to follow written and spoken directions.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to interpret and master complex laboratory protocols and records.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues in experimental procedures independently, and to seek assistance when needed.
• Basic computer and mathematics skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office.
• Strong organizational skills for managing lab inventories and administrative tasks.

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to the listed job qualifications and interest in the position
2. Curriculum vitae / Resume
3. Three to Five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Questions should be directed to: Danielle Barber, DANIELLE.G.BARBER@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

Screening of Applications Begins:

Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but preference will be given to complete applications received by 01/09/2026. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.

Anticipated Pay Range:

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $46,274 to $58,861.

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125