Research Assistant

Job Title

Research Assistant (0.8 FTE)

**Job Description**:
An excellent opportunity is available for an enthusiastic Research Assistant to join the Personalised Oncology Division (Gibbs Laboratory), working 0.8 FTE, at Australia’s pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the Position

The Research Assistant is responsible for providing technical and operational support for the research in a laboratory or group, with a focus on optimising research productivity. Within the Gibbs laboratory, the appointee will be responsible for coordinating the receipt, identification, sorting, labelling, and shipping of samples in an accurate and timely manner for translational research projects that occur. The Research Assistant will ensure the there is an up-to-date inventory of procured samples in the Gibbs Lab freezers, as well as samples stored at room temperature within a team environment. This will involve the use of various databases, as well as liaising with outside trial groups that are involved in the research projects. Updating of patient clinical data onto various registries for sample matching will be required.

This position will be based primarily at WEHI’s Parkville Campus but may require occasional times spent at other sites with assist with samples management and procurement, and other duties.

About the Gibbs Laboratory

Earlier diagnosis and improved management of more advanced stage disease are critical to reducing the impact of cancer in our community. The research focus is on identifying and validating predictive and prognostic biomarkers for cancer that will lead to improved treatments and outcomes, and developing new approaches to cancer therapy. There is also a growing effort in early cancer diagnosis through the development of a blood based cancer screening test. These research efforts are closely linked with clinical activity at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (PMCC), Western Health and Eastern Health, Western Health and Northern Health with a particular focus on translating promising biomarkers into routine tests.

Hospital based activity includes the collection of comprehensive treatment and outcome data for patients managed in routine care, and prospective biomarker and intervention based clinical trials. This activity happens in parallel with a very active early phase clinical trial program, based at the VCCC, led by members of the Gibbs laboratory. Along with this local activity our group leads multiple national and international clinical registries, which capture prospective, comprehensive data on 1000's of patients with common cancers, including colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. The research activity included extensive academic and industry collaborations, within Australia and internationally.

Our specific research interests include:
- Early diagnosis of cancer, including studies of blood-based biomarkers.- Novel tumour and blood predictive and prognostic biomarkers in early and late stage cancers.- Blood biomarkers to measure patient response to chemotherapy and biological treatments in patients with advanced cancer.- The use of organoids to rapidly assess tumour responsiveness to therapy, moving toward a more personalised approach to cancer treatment.- Development of novel therapies for cancer, with a particular focus on tumour signalling.- Randomised biomarker based clinical trials- Randomised phase II and III intervention clinical trials

This research requires collection of biological samples (tumour tissue, normal tissue and blood) from patients with a range of different cancers in collaboration with The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Western Health, Eastern Health (Box Hill Hospital) and a large number of collaborating clinical sites around Australia and internationally. At our local hospitals, patients are managed according to standard protocols and comprehensive, prospective data is collected on treatment administered and outcomes, including long-term follow-up. An essential component of this research is the ability to combine this data with studies of archived tumour samples for large scale translational biomarker studies.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential Knowledge and Skills:
- BSc with Honours in an appropriate area of study, or relevant experience- Demonstrated laboratory research experience- Basic computer skills and ability to accurately record data, results and the development of new methods and theories- Project management, excellent oral and written communication and reporting skills

Personal Qualities:
- Good communication skills and the ability to work constructively within a team environment- Ability to work as part of a team using experimental protocols- Excellent attention to detail, ensuring that data, methods and theories are accurate, of high-quality and accessible to other researchers- Ability to manage time effectively and be reliable and approachab