Research Assistant I Lab

The Brown lab in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School seeks a highly motivated research technician to support an industry-funded project investigating how primary cilia regulate hypothalamic control of energy balance and obesity. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to cutting edge basic research in cilia biology.

The successful candidate will perform routine and semi-independent experiments in mammalian cell culture and assist with downstream in vivo and -omics studies. Core responsibilities include maintaining cell lines, performing immunofluorescence microscopy, assisting with advanced imaging and proteomic workflows, meticulous record keeping, and contributing to overall lab organization and operations (including inventory and ordering). The position provides excellent training in cell biology, imaging, and genomics approaches and is ideal for individuals considering graduate or medical school. Research in the Brown Lab centers on understanding how cilia function. This position will primarily focus on trafficking of ciliary signaling receptors implicated in obesity. Experimental approaches may include: mammalian cell culture; CRISPR based genetic manipulation; immunofluorescence microscopy; proximity labeling proteomics, and bulk and single cell RNA seq. For more information about the lab, please visit https://brown.hms.harvard.edu/.

Responsibilities (with training and oversight):

• Perform routine mammalian cell culture. 

• Perform routine immunofluorescence microscopy, including sample preparation, imaging, and basic quantitative analysis.

• Assist postdoctoral fellows and other lab members with more complex experiments (e.g., CRISPR editing and proteomics).

• Maintain accurate, well organized experimental records. 

• Contribute to reports and publications.

• Support daily lab operations, including reagent preparation, inventory management, ordering, and general lab upkeep.