Senior Research Technician – Cell Culture Work

Department:	School of Optometry	Effective Date:
Grade:	USG 7	Reports to:

General Accountability

This position is within the laboratories of Drs. Lyndon Jones and Michelle Senchyna at the School of Optometry at the University of Waterloo. The position is accountable to Drs Jones and Senchyna and will be directly responsible for identifying and quantifying biochemical markers in the tear film and in ocular surface epithelial cells that may hold pathophysiological significance to ocular surface disease through the design and implementation of a variety of scientific methodologies.

Nature and Scope

The candidate will report directly to Drs. Lyndon Jones and Michelle Senchyna. One other Senior Research Technician and 5 graduate students will have an identical reporting structure.

Candidates will have a significant amount of responsibility and require a high degree of independence to ensure the efficient day-to-day running of the laboratory. Graduate and undergraduate student supervision will encompass approximately 20% of the candidates’ weekly responsibilities. The candidate will be required to be innovative in their approach to problem-solving and developing novel protocols, as many of the project objectives within this job description are novel and highly complex. Lastly, they will be required to interact with equipment representatives on a regular basis, ensure that laboratory supplies are adequately stocked and that equipment is suitably maintained and repaired.

Strong written and oral communication skills are required, as are basic computing skills and a strong working knowledge of literature searching and data base construction.

Significant internal interactions will occur with faculty, staff and patients within the Centre for Contact Lens Research (CCLR) at the University of Waterloo, from where most of the tear film and conjunctival samples are collected. Significant external interactions will occur with a variety of contact lens companies and planning of company visits, development of presentations on ongoing projects and oral / written presentation of data will be a necessary part of the job.

Willingness to work weekends is necessary to accommodate maintenance of cells grown in culture and to facilitate collection of human tissue, cell and fluid samples.

Several studies are conducted that may be eligible for submission to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and so compliance with upkeep of laboratory notebooks, knowledge of regulatory requirements and agencies will be critical.

Knowledge and adherence to Health and Safety and WHIMS guidelines are critical to ensure safe operation within the laboratories. Safety training of new students and volunteers within the laboratories will be required to ensure that no harm befalls any employees within the laboratories.

Preparation of abstracts for submission to scientific conferences and assistance to graduate students with such preparation will also be required.

The candidate will be required to write-out purchase requisition orders for all equipment and consumable purchases and be expected to exhibit some financial budgetary considerations.

Statistical Data

The laboratory employs two Senior Research Technicians, 3 graduate students and 2-3 undergraduate students, with a budget of approximately $ 300,000 per year.

Specific Accountabilities

Suitable candidates for this job must possess a strong background in human primary cell culture, ocular tissue dissection and clinical techniques such as human tear collection and impression cytology. Applicants should also be well versed in techniques used for protein isolation and quantification. Prior experience on a PhastSystemÔ is considered essential.

Other laboratory skills that are considered an asset include ELISA, human blood sampling, RT-PCR and RNA isolation.

Graduate training and supervisory experience will be considered essential due to the heavy demand of such expertise associated with this position.

The candidate assigned to this job will be specifically responsible for the following tasks: (1) initiating and maintaining diverse cultures of human ocular cells; (2) optimizing protocols based on ELISA and Western blotting to allow for the quantification of ocular 15-HETE and MUC1, (3) collection of human tear film and conjunctival epithelial cell samples, (4) isolation of total protein and total RNA from in vitro and in vivo cell samples, (5) construction of a literature database detailing current concepts of dry eye and ocular surface disease; (6) supervising and training students at the graduate and undergraduate levels; (7) preparing budgets and obtaining quotes for grant proposals (eg CFI, NSERC, industrial contracts etc) (8) submit regular planning goals and project updates for research direction planning.