Animal Research Assistant

The Cancer Plasticity and Dormancy Program is dedicated to discovering new treatment paradigms to target currently incurable metastatic and relapsing cancers. There is a focus on cancers that spread to or grow predominantly in the skeleton including, multiple myeloma, and breast and prostate cancer. We aim to better predict which patients will relapse and develop new treatments to stop cancer relapse.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking to appoint a motivated research technician/research assistant to support the work of the Croucher laboratory, which is part of the Cancer Plasticity and Dormancy Program. The post holder will be responsible for the laboratory activities including the laboratory's animal studies. This includes colony management, animal interventions and surgery, sample preparation and data analysis. The post-holder will work alongside other team members to support collaborative research projects. The post-holder may also work on their own project. 

The appointment person will work as part of cross program collaboration between the laboratories of Professor Peter Croucher, Assoc Professor Christine Chaffer and Professor Tri Phan.

Salary: Up to $87, % superannuation + salary packaging (depending on experience)

Employment Type: 2-year fixed-term contract

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

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The key responsibilities include:

• Animal monitoring and colony management

• Cell culture for cell preparation and cell analysis

• Animal procedures, including injections and basic surgical procedures

• In vivo IVIS and Faxitron/DEXA scanning

• Processing and analysis of data acquired from Faxitron, DEXA and IVIS scans

• Collection and processing of tissue samples for laboratory analysis

• Record experimental procedures and results

• Generate and analyse experimental data

• Attend and participate in regular laboratory and program meetings

• Be involved in general laboratory responsibilities

• Be responsible for sharing knowledge with staff and students across the program

ABOUT YOU

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

The key skills and experience include:

• An appropriate TAFE diploma or Bachelor Degree in Science in a relevant discipline

• Experience with animal handling and surgical procedures

• At least one-year practical laboratory experience

• Detail orientated and clear thinking with an ability to solve problems

• Highly motivated with a strong commitment to quality

• An ability to manage time, prioritise workload and work independently

• High degree of flexibility

• Good communication skills

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 complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you're the right person for this role, we'd love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.