Staff Research Associate I

The Nayak Lab (nayak.ucsf.edu) has an opening for a research assistant I who is interested in advancing our knowledge of the gut microbiome and its impact on rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. We use multiple state-of-the-art technologies, including bacterial genomics, metabolomics, anaerobic microbiology, bacterial genetics, gnotobiotic animal models, and studies of patient cohorts to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota impact patient response to treatment of rheumatic disease. A major driving force of the lab is the advancement of precision medicine for patients with rheumatic disease.

The candidate will contribute to new and ongoing projects in the lab. The candidate will use or learn a variety of techniques in anaerobic microbiology, microbial genomics, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, cell culture, mouse work, computational analysis, and immunology. Additionally, the research assistant will be expected to assist with managing day-to-day lab operations, perform general lab duties, and be a positive lab citizen. Candidates will be expected to work on their own independent projects and be active contributors to the collaborative multidisciplinary team of microbiologists, immunologists, and computational biologists. The successful candidate will report directly to Dr. Renuka Nayak, MD, PhD but will work closely with collaborators within and outside of the group. An exceptional candidate will lead their own independent project, develop new ideas, be familiar with the literature, and participate in procurement of funds, where appropriate. Candidates interested in pursuing MD, PhD, or MD/PhD training will benefit most from this laboratory experience.

Required Qualifications:
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills (verbal and written).
• Willingness and ability to learn new methods and skills for changing research priorities.
• Ability to work independently on their own projects and as a member of a research team.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, coordinate work tasks with others, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Familiarity with standard wet lab techniques (e.g. preparation of reagents/chemicals, basic microbiology, tissue culture, PCR, western blot, DNA/RNA purification) and/or computational analysis of large datasets.
• Must have (or be in process of obtaining) a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent degree) or at least four years of research experience.

• Preferred Qualifications:
• • Prior experience with handling pathogenic microbes, aseptic techniques
• • Prior experience in high throughput sequencing and analysis
• • Prior experience in mass spectrometry or other analytical chemistry approaches
• • Prior experience in flow cytometry or other immune profiling methods
• • Prior experience in the design and assembly of DNA constructs
• • Prior experience in bacterial genome manipulation
• • Prior experience working with mice

Depending on performance and workload, opportunities for independent research, mentorship of other trainees, and scientific writing will be available. Applicants must meet requirements by the time of appointment.

The Nayak Lab is located at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, perched atop Land’s End and overlooking the San Francisco Bay. We are a part of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine (BCMM), enabling engagement with a rich community of investigators and access to cutting-edge resources for promoting microbiome research.

The base salary range for this position is $24.11-$28.87 per hour. The base salary actually offered to a successful candidate will take into account various relevant and non-discriminatory business factors including, without limitation, the candidate’s geographic location, job-related experience, knowledge, and skills, and education, as well as internal equity considerations. A successful candidate may also be eligible to earn additional compensation including bonuses. 

The Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.  NCIRE is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, Veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected under federal and state law, and to make all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We are committed to furthering the principle of equal employment opportunity. NCIRE actively works to attract and retain talented individuals. NCIRE offers career opportunities in research and administration in pursuit of furthering medical research for our nation’s Veterans.

Va Onboarding Requirements:

NCIRE is an affiliate organization of the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), which requires all candidates to complete SFVA onboarding in addition to NCIRE's onboarding process. The SFVA is a federal agency that requires a federal background check, occupational health clearance, vaccines and immunizations, and drug testing for certain positions. Drug testing may include screening for marijuana which remains an illegal substance according to federal law.  The failure to pass required drug testing will disqualify candidates from employment.