The Research Assistant II supports day-to-day laboratory operations and contributes to research projects in immunology and virology. Key duties include conducting experiments, purifying proteins, performing molecular biology techniques, and maintaining laboratory equipment and inventory.
Requirements summary
A Bachelor's degree and 2 years of experience in molecular biology are required. Preferred qualifications include experience with plasmid preparation, cloning, DNA mutagenesis, and cultured mammalian cells.
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
Organization
PMI
Molecular
Pathogenesis
Job
Summary: A laboratory in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology is seeking a Research Assistant II (RAII) to join our team. In this role, you’ll be a key laboratory resource—supporting day-to-day operations while contributing directly to ongoing research projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. With moderate supervision, you will set up and conduct experiments, follow established protocols, and ensure accurate documentation and reporting of results (including any unexpected or variant findings).
Your work will include: Culturing cells (eukaryotic and prokaryotic) Performing molecular biology techniques such as transformations, DNA preparation, PCR, and sequence analysis Expressing and purifying proteins Performing flow cytometry Preparing common reagents and solutions Supporting routine maintenance of laboratory equipment Managing inventory of reagents and supplies Assisting with other laboratory and research activities as needed What we’re looking for You’ll thrive in this position if you bring strong organization, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate clearly and work effectively as part of a dynamic research team. Required Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) 2 years of experience in molecular biology Preferred Experience with plasmid preparation, cloning,
DNA mutagenesis, and cultured mammalian cells
Department
SUMMARY: You’ll join the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics (VCAT)—recognized as one of the world’s leading centers for antibody discovery and translational research focused on disease prevention. At the intersection of immunology and virology, our work leverages computational advances to better understand antibody–antigen interactions, design immunogens, and optimize antibodies for clinical use. In the Georgiev laboratory, we use computational and structure-based protein design approaches to address fundamental questions in immunology and virology and to develop new vaccine and antibody product candidates targeting viruses of biomedical importance. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with a dynamic, interdisciplinary research team and contribute to impactful, translational science. Schedule and location Typical schedule is Monday–Friday, daytime hours, with flexibility in your daily start/end time as long as responsibilities are met. May be occasional weekend work but anticipated work week is 40 hours. This is an on-site role working at VUMC Medical Research Building IV (MRB IV), 2215 Garland Ave., Nashville, TN .
Benefits
Disability Insurance
Health Insurance
Wellness Offerings
Retirement Offerings
KEY
Responsibilities:
Under moderate supervision, conduct and evaluate experiments and assays
Understand and follow experimental protocols (may include animal handling, tissue culture, etc.)
Record, compile, interpret, and communicate data/results
Follow University safety protocols (may include use of combustibles, radioactivity, toxic material, and/or carcinogens)
Perform calculations involving molarity, % solutions, and serial dilutions
Prepare, operate, and troubleshoot equipment in experimental procedures
Read and follow all equipment manuals
Maintain and repair equipment according to manufacturer and University guidelines
Ensure Laboratory is prepared for experiments
Maintain inventories
Maintain sterile conditions as required
Prepare reagents
Demonstrate an understanding of acceptable procedures and techniques
Recognize problems and suggest solutions
Assist in modifications as directed
Provide appropriate written documentation of experiments
Prepare preliminary research progress reports
Summarize test results appropriately Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year. World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease. Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff.
Core
Accountabilities:
Organizational
Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance.
Problem
Solving/
Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment.
Breadth of
Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area.
Team
Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.
Core
Capabilities :
Supporting
Colleagues:-
Develops
Self and
Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.-
Builds and
Maintains
Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.-
Communicates
Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.
Delivering
Excellent
Services:-
Serves
Others with
Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.-
Solves
Complex
Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.-
Offers
Meaningful
Advice and
Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.
Ensuring
High
Quality: -
Performs
Excellent
Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.-
Ensures
Continuous
Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. -
Fulfills
Safety and
Regulatory
Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.
Managing
Resources
Effectively: -
Demonstrates
Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.-
Stewards
Organizational
Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.-
Makes
Data
Driven
Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.
Fostering
Innovation:-
Generates
New
Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.-
Applies
Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.-
Adapts to
Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.
Position
Qualifications:
Responsibilities:
Certifications :
Work
Experience :
Relevant
Work
Experience
Experience
Level : 2 years
Education : Bachelor's This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth. Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled. PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO.
Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health.
Our mission: personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities. Making Health Care Personal. We’re looking for like-minded individuals driven to make a difference. We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. At VUMC, we place a priority on designing with and for our patients and families. We value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and discovery, and seek to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and expanding footprint in towns and communities across the region. We employ more than 28,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research, and graduate medical education as well as critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fund-raising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many more.
Our growing health system has more than 1,700 licensed hospital beds at: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital It’s also home to hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region. We serve our community with many unique and specialized services including the Level 1 Trauma Center, a highly experienced Transplant Center that does the most heart transplants in the world, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lung Institute, Burn Center and many more. World-leading academic departments and centers make scientific discoveries, advance clinical care and train the next generation of health care professionals. Our robust research enterprise consistently ranks among the highest in the country as measured by peer-reviewed grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals, including being nationally ranked in multiple medical specialties for treating the most complex conditions in adults and children by US News and World Report. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt ranked as the No. 1 children’s hospital in the southeast in 2024. We support each other and encourage excellence among all who are part of our workforce. High-achieving employees stay at VUMC for professional growth, appreciation of benefits, and a sense of community and purpose. Join us in Making Health Care Personal.
