Assistant Project Scientist – Carrie Miceli Lab – UCLA MIMG Full-time

Assistant Project Scientist – Carrie Miceli Lab – UCLA MIMG

UCLA's Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics is seeking to fill a full-time Assistant Project Scientist position in the lab of Professor Carrie Miceli. The Assistant Project Scientist candidate will perform research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with an emphasis on immune mechanisms involved in driving fibrosis versus regeneration and identifying and targeting barriers limiting efficacy of dystrophin replacement therapies in a large collaborative team effort. The Assistant Project Scientist position is a 12-month non-Senate position.

Specific responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to:

1. Process, bank and culture primary muscle biopsy samples and blood from DMD and healthy individuals, in some instances developing tissue culture-based models for in-culture investigations.
2. Conduct research aimed understanding muscle remodeling in DMD muscle tissue before and after dystrophin replacement AAV gene therapy or other investigational treatments, including preparing samples for single cell/nuclei sequencing and coordinating sample tracking across group members for sequencing and interpretation.
3. Design and carry out FACS based experiment aimed at characterizing primary or expanded and stimulated muscle mononuclear cells including fibroblast, satellite cell, lymphocytes, myeloid and endothelial cell populations.
4. Use standard molecular techniques including western blot, RNA analysis, Elisa, DNA cloning/construction and immunohistochemistry to design and implement experiments to further probe/validate candidate mechanisms or drug targets identified.
5. Perform myogenesis assays in coculture with other healthy or dystrophic cell types or drugs/inhibitors.
6. T cell, macrophage, fibroblast bead purification and characterization, including characterization of cell populations using single cell transcriptomics.
7. Work with core directors to implement and optimize application of core technologies to lab projects.
8. Contribute to lab organization, cleanliness, equipment maintenance and stocking supplies.
9. Assist with preparation of grant proposals.
10. Preparation of manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.

Minimum qualifications:

• Ph.D. (or equivalent) in Immunology, Molecular Genetics or comparable field
• Must be familiar with FACS staining, sorting, development of assays and analysis
• Must be familiar with most basic molecular biology techniques including: western blot, RNA and DNA purification, PCR, design of recombinant/mutated gene expression constructs or CRISPR expression tools, ELISA, IHC
• Must have experience with cell culture and differentiation, experience with multi-cell models will be especially appreciated.
• Experience with data analysis of single cell or single nuclei transcriptomes is not required but will be considered an advantage.
• Prior experience in large collaborative studies an advantage.