Research Associate, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

• Research Associate, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
• Entity: Medical College
• Location: Pakistan

Introduction:

The Aga Khan University was found in 1983 as Pakistan’s first private university; Aga Khan University is a not-for-profit institution and an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. Starting in 2000, the University expanded to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom and Afghanistan. AKU began life as a health-sciences university.

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Aga Khan University is a unique/distinguish establishment which serves the clinical laboratory of Aga Khan University Hospital with academic interest. This department is heavily engaged in undergraduate, postgraduate and technologist training programs. It provides professional training for higher degree in four major areas of Pathology (Chemical Pathology, Hematology, Histopathology, and Microbiology). Currently, there are approximately 61 Faculty, including 3 part time, 2 visiting faculty members, and 41 Residents.

Aga Khan University invites applications for the position of Research Associate, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. In the study titled: “Exploring prevalence, genomics, clinical outcome, psychosocial, financial and quality of life impact of antifungal resistant dermatophyte infections in Pakistan”. This multicentre project based in Pakistan aims to explore the prevalence of antifungal resistance in complicated dermatophyte infections and its psychosocial, financial, and clinical impacts in patients. Whole genome sequencing will be performed for in-depth analysis of pathogenesis, mechanisms of resistance, transmission, and evolution of antifungal-resistant dermatophytes.

This is a grant-funded contractual position.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

Responsibilities:

You Should Be Responsible To:

• Ensure smooth and efficient day-to-day operation of sample recruitment, transportation & data collection activities. patient recruitment for the project, obtaining and filling patient consent & data form maintaining inventory of supplies / personal protective equipment
• Maintaining inventory of supplies / personal protective equipment at the field site
• Perform culture, susceptibility testing and saving of fungal isolates as per protocol
• Perform DNA extraction, PCR based identification, resistance gene detection of fungal isolates
• Optimize and perform WGS of fungal isolates
• Ordering supplies required for project and maintaining inventory of supplies/kits
• Management, compilation & analysis of research data operations, tools, and analyzed data and generate technical report under supervision of PI
• Assist in preparing manuscripts & abstracts for publication/presentation as required by investigators, administrators, funding agencies

Requirements:

• Master’s in science, Microbiology with 2-3 years of related work experience
• Good research skills
• Should have training & knowledge of Biosafety for working with infectious pathogens
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Good English language competency (written and oral)
• Ability to work independently

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.