Research Assistant

**POSITION DESCRIPTION
**Position **Research Assistant

**Position Number Level/Classification **HEW0404***

**Reports to **Professor***

**Unit **Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics***

**Directorate **Research and Innovation***

**Positions Supervised **Nil**
**Position Purpose**

The Research Assistant in the Centre for Molecular Medicine & Innovative Therapeutics
(CMMIT) undertakes laboratory work as required for the completion of specific research
projects. This position is to provide high quality research support focusing on the project
aims to met the deliverables on an externally funded research grant.***

**About Murdoch University**

Murdoch University helps people discover how to make a difference, through education and
research endeavour, and remains one of the most inclusive universities in the country,
providing students with quality education and recognised academic standing within an
engaging and caring environment. We are a university for all, irrespective of background and
social standing with a focus on social equity, self-direction and freedom of thought and belief.

With strong links to government, business and the community, Murdoch University helps
people discover how to make a difference. We are a young, innovative and enterprising
university with more than 23,000 students and 1,700 staff across Perth, Singapore and Dubai.
We are committed to high quality education, innovative research, and strong community
engagement both locally and internationally.

Our Strategic Plan and Future Horizon 2017-2027 outlines an ambitious blueprint for
development and growth, with a focus on one purpose: to be a creative force for current and
future generations.

We are clear about our two core goals: to educate free thinkers who thrive in society and are
sought after by employers; and, to provide life changing solutions for the world’s big
challenges through our outstanding translational research and innovative practice.

**About the Work Area**

CMMIT established in 2018 and headed by Professor Steve Wilton as Director forms part of
Murdoch University’s commitment to excellence in health and medical research. The Centre
brings together researchers and clinicians from across the university and Perron Institute to
- of diseases by:
- Undertaking cutting edge research that directly impacts on the health and wellbeing of
- patients- Taking findings from the laboratory and clinic, and translating these into commercial

products (viz. new drugs and diagnostics) or improvements in clinical practice and health
policy
- Fostering collaboration across the Centre’s twelve research groups with the goal of

increasing the scope and quality of the Centre’s research

CMMIT’s research is diverse and is spread across twelve research areas:
**Molecular Therapy** - research focusing on developing genetic drugs to treat Duchenne
muscular dystrophy and other disorders, particularly inherited disorders.

**Precision Nucleic Acid Therapeutics** - research on the development of novel therapeutic
molecules for target-specific delivery of drugs or diagnostics to specific disease sites in the
body including in cancer, diabetes and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

**Motor Neurone Disease** - research on novel approaches to the treatment of the
debilitating and ultimately fatal disease, motor neurone disease (MND), a disease affecting
350,000 people worldwide.

**Neurodegenerative Diseases **- research is focused on molecular mechanisms underlying
various neurodegenerative diseases and identifying the genomic alterations as potential
drug targets or biomarkers.

**Clinical Exercise and Cognition** - research in the area of exercise and cognition on
biomechanics, physiology, metabolism and cognition with the goal of informing the
personalised management and treatment of patients.

**Multiple Sclerosis** - research on clinical, laboratory, radiological, and genetic aspects of
multiple sclerosis, a disease affecting over 23,000 Australians.

**Myositis** - research on the treatment, genetics and immunopathology of immune-mediated
myositis.

**Functional Genomics**:

- research investigating the functional consequences of genetic
changes that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

**Cell-Tissue Systems Modelling - **research focusing on integrating the physical, chemical
and biological processes underlying diseases such as osteoarthritis, colorectal cancer, and
acute kidney injury by using computational and mathematical models.

**Sepsis Diagnostic Research **-** **researchers invested in finding new and better ways to
diagnose, treat and prevent sepsis in newborns, adults and companion animals.***

**Economic Evaluation of Disease & Diagnostics**:

- researchers in the field of health
economics/health care financing, conduct cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis to

Murdoch University Position Description - Professional Positions

examine value for money and