"Research Specialist C"

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Description Summary

The Leung Lab consists of biologists, clinicians, and computational scientists working together to study how skin and other organs respond to injury and inflammation, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. We focus on understanding the molecular drivers of scar formation, unraveling the mechanisms driving skin diseases, identifying prognostic and predictive biomarkers to improve clinical diagnosis, and discovering new treatments to enable personalized medicine.

The purpose of this position is to perform research to study human inflammatory skin diseases. The ideal individual will have a bachelors or equivalent degree and at least 3-5 years' experience in developmental biology, including mouse models. The individual should also be willing to work in a highly collaborative environment to support ongoing projects in the laboratory, train lab members, independently design/coordinate/execute research studies in consultation with the PI, and help in preparing manuscripts, presentations, and grant applications.

Job Responsibilities

• Mouse husbandry and survival surgeries
• Human skin cell culture
• Oral and written presentation of work, including lab notebook maintenance, assistance with manuscripts and grant applications

Duties

The purpose of this position is to perform research to study mammalian tissue regeneration and inflammatory skin diseases. The ideal individual will have a bachelor's degree and at least 3-5 years' experience in developmental biology and gene regulation, including animal models, flow cytometry, core molecular biology techniques (cloning, PCR, qPCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, ELISA), and genomics approaches (RNA-Seq, exome sequencing, ATAC-Seq). The individual should have a strong computation background to analyze data sets from genomics studies. The individual should also be willing to work in a highly collaborative environment to support ongoing projects in the laboratory, train lab members, independently design/coordinate/execute research studies in consultation with the PI, and help in preparing manuscripts, presentations, and grant applications.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and at least 3-5 years experience in gene regulation, inflammation, skin biology or related field are required. The preferred candidate will have at least 3 years of experience working in the field of skin biology, as well as outstanding oral and written communication skills. The highly preferred candidate will have a proven record of first-author publications, management and technical skills in leading a small research group, and the ability to regularly review and maintain research records for a research group.

Masters or Ph.D in biology preferred.

This position is contingent upon funding.

Job Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$57,500.00 - $78,480.95 Annual Rate. Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.