Sr. Research Associate, Pediatrics

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career! 

JOB SUMMARY
Works under minimal direction to plan, coordinate, perform, and supervise performance of professional level medical or scientific research assignment related to particular or specialized field of endeavor. 

We are seeking a highly skilled research staff personnel member with expertise in murine models of liver disease, including neonatal handling, injection techniques, and tissue harvest. The ideal candidate will have experience in epithelial organoid culture from human liver tissues, immunofluorescence imaging, and co-culture assays to study epithelial-immune interactions, as well as familiarity with IACUC/IRB compliance and transcriptomic data interpretation.

Other Desired Experience Includes:

• Proficiency in neonatal and adult mouse handling, injections (e.g., intraperitoneal, retro-orbital), and tissue harvest.  
• Experience with murine models of biliary atresia, including rotavirus infection protocols, monitoring survival, and scoring disease severity.  
• Immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy for liver and bile duct tissues.  
• Expertise in isolating and expanding epithelial organoids from human liver and bile duct biopsies.  
• Skilled in 3D culture systems using basement membrane extracts (e.g., Matrigel, BME), and media optimization.  
• Handling of organoids derived at both diagnosis and post-transplantation from pediatric patients.  
• Proliferation, viability, apoptosis, and differentiation assays.  
• Co-culture assays with immune cells to assess epithelial-immune interactions. 
• Familiarity with transcriptomic data interpretation (e.g., from RNA-seq, scRNA-seq) is a plus.  
• Understanding of animal welfare regulations and human biospecimen research policies  
• Experience in preparing and updating IACUC and IRB protocols.

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

Experience And Educationrequired

• EducationPhD with major coursework in field of assignment and no experience or Master's Degree with major coursework in field of assignment or Bachelor's Degree with major coursework in field of assignment or  
• ExperienceNo experience required with PhD or 5 years of laboratory experience with a Master's Degree including at least 2 years at level of Research Associate or equivalent or 6 years of laboratory experience with a Bachelor's Degree including at least 2 years at level of Research Associate or equivalent  

Job Duties

• Organizes laboratory to which assigned; determines work assignments of subordinates, advising them as to techniques, procedures, and equipment to be utilized in solution of work problems; reviews completed work for professional quality and attainment of desired results.
• Compiles and evaluates research data, and develops new or revised techniques and procedures based upon such data.
• Performs or supervises design, development, or adaptation of equipment or apparatus used in experiments or research to obtain desired results.
• Compiles and analyzes results of research assignments and submits to principal investigator.
• Instructs medical students, graduate students, residents, and other laboratory personnel of lower grade with respect to techniques, procedures, and equipment utilized in research or experiments.
• Confers with industrial, governmental, or other professional groups with respect to progress or results of research assignment.
• Assists principal investigator and other professional personnel in preparation of reports and papers for publication, usually exercising responsibility for writing of particular segment or phase of report or paper.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT
Security 
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information. To the extent this position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code, the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the critical infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired and to continue to be employed in the position.

EEO Statement
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.