Research Assistant

The Immunology & Immunodeficiency Lab is led by Prof Stuart Tangye and is focussed on understanding the molecular and cellular requirements necessary for generating successful immune responses following infection and/or vaccination and how these processes are disrupted by specific genetic defects. Specifically, we study individuals with immune diseases such as early-onset and recurrent infections, autoimmunity or allergy and strive to identify the genetic (typically monogenic) causes of these conditions. The overall goal is to determine molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms responsible for the clinical features of these conditions and use this information to diagnose affected individuals, guide treatments and/or predict disease outcomes.

THE OPPORTUNITY

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS- Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)- Ample opportunities for on-going training and development- Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment- Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times- 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation- A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave- Discounted Health Insurance- Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

As a Research Assistant you will work in a collaborative environment when conducting experiments within their Research Platform. Key responsibilities include:
- Design and manage own experiments and report and discuss findings back to supervisor- Regularly attend extra seminar meetings and conferences- Contribute towards research projects through to joint authorship of abstracts and publications in journals specific to field- Develop research-related material for the benefit of scholars with appropriate guidance from senior staff, and assist in the design and/or the operation of specialised laboratory and technical equipment or the conduct of advanced research procedures;- Proactively and efficiently manage the administrative functions associated with lab management- Organise resource and equipment issues

As a Research Officer you would conduct original research under limited supervision, and be required to make contributions in more than one of the following areas- Completion of research projects in an efficient and timely manner, with outcomes published under joint authorship in peer-reviewed journals- Contribution to team and Garvan research projects- Presentation of original research at national/ international scientific conferences, and as invited to seminars locally and/or nationally- Co-supervision and mentoring of students and junior research staff- Provision of supervisory assistance in preparation of research grant proposals, including contribution of data- Contribution to improvements in techniques, quantitative methods and quality control

ABOUT YOU

The key skills and experience of a Research Assistant include:
- Bachelors’ Degree in Science or Medicine (with Honours)- Competent computer skills (Excel, Word & PowerPoint)- High level of accuracy and attention to detail;- Specific technical expertise relating to position or field of study;- Competent report writing and presentation skills;- Appointment at this level would normally require at least 4 years’ experience within a lab, however this alone is not sufficient.

The key skills and experience of a Research Officer include:
- PhD or MD in a relevant area (immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology)- Extensive experience with wet laboratory techniques is expected- Strong problem solving and analytical skills- Have a strong commitment to continuous delivery of high-quality work- Have excellent communication skills for written reports and oral presentations- Demonstrate a capacity to work collaboratively with researchers across laboratories- Be well organised and a good time manager with sound administrative abilities

ABOUT GARVAN

Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.
- Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of