Research Technician

The Immune Assessment Laboratory (IAL) is seeking a highly motivated Research Technician to join its team this summer. This position offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with patient biospecimens, primarily analyzing T cells and other immune populations in the peripheral blood, to support translational immuno-oncology research. The successful candidate will work closely with scientists and clinical teams and gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies used in cancer immunotherapy research.

The IAL assists investigators at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in establishing mechanistic and biomarker endpoints for clinical studies of immunotherapy (https://labs.dana-farber.org/cioial/). The laboratory supports the collection of blood from patients participating in over 50 immunotherapy clinical trials across a broad range of cancer types. The IAL generates biomarker data for these clinical trials harnessing state-of-the-art technologies for detecting soluble biomarkers (Luminex, OLINK) and profiling cellular immune phenotypes - including T cells, NK cells, and myeloid cells - using mass cytometry (CyTOF) and spectral flow cytometry. The goal is to uncover why some cancer patients respond favorably to immunotherapy, while others experience resistance, relapse, or toxicity.

The IAL is part of the Center for Immuno-Oncology (CIO), a central hub for human immuno-oncology research within Dana-Farber. The IAL team regularly interacts with CIO leadership, liaise with CIO bioinformatics, biostatistics and banking teams, and participate in joint journal clubs with the CIO Tissue Biomarker Lab. The CIO is also a founding member of an NIH Cancer Moonshot initiative, CIMAC (Cancer Immune Monitoring and Analysis Center), providing mass cytometry expertise to NCI clinical trials nationwide.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

• Participate in all biobanking activities, including receiving, processing, storing and distributing patient biospecimens.
• Isolate immune cells from patient blood samples
• Perform biomarker assays (Luminex, Olink, CyTOF, Spectral flow cytometry), including assay design, development, data analysis, troubleshooting, quality control and optimization.
• Prepare and present written or oral progress reports, including organization and interpretation of data, to advance collaboration with clinical and translational research teams.
• Prepare laboratory reagents and chemicals, maintain equipment such as liquid nitrogen tanks and freezers, and maintain a clean work area within the laboratory
• Meticulously maintain databases containing experimental results, reagent inventories, and sample storage logs.
• Follow established department policies, procedures, and objectives, including the areas of quality assurance, safety, environmental and infection control
• Perform other duties and responsibilities required for laboratory operations as directed
• Opportunities to contribute to abstracts/manuscripts and be considered for co-authorship based on contributions.
• Opportunities to participate in lab meetings, journal clubs, lunch & learn sessions, technician-led tech talks, informal team-building activities, and clinical shadowing.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of information and techniques related to either biology, chemistry, or medicine is preferred
• Must have excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and be able to work with a wide variety of faculty and staff
• Ability to analyze information and use logic to address work-related issues and problems
• Must have attention to detail and be thorough in completing work tasks
• Ability to work within a team environment
• Experience with sterile technique and pipetting required
• Must be comfortable working with human blood and tissue. Strong attention to detail and ability to strictly adhere to clinical SOPs required.
• Prior laboratory experience handling blood and immune cell isolation, or performing flow cytometry, is a plus.
• Basic computational data analysis is a plus.
• The successful candidate will be highly motivated, friendly, and team-oriented, with strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree required; Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology or related biomedical science preferred
• Commitment to a minimum of two years in the position required

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: No supervisory responsibilities. Normally receives detailed instructions on all work.

PATIENT CONTACT: None