Research Assistant

Job Description

The Department of Physiology at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) is announcing the position of a research assistant in islet pathophysiology. The research project focuses on pancreatic beta cell function and survival, both of which are compromised in patients with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the research will investigate the role of voltage-gated calcium channels in beta cell survival and insulin secretion. The applicant must have previous experience in common methodologies in diabetes cell-culture techniques such as INS-1 832/13 cell line maintenance, transfection (e.g. siRNA and plasmid), DNA-/RNA-extraction, immunocytochemistry (immunofluorescence), immunoblotting (Western Blot), immunoassay (ELISA), and real-time PCR. Candidates with experience in harvesting, isolating, and dispersing pancreatic islets from rats and mice, and electrophysiology (patch-clamp) will be prioritized during the selection process.

Minimum Qualification

• BSc / Master
  
  

• Basic laboratory techniques, animal handling, and cell culture + islet isolation and electrophysiology.
  
  

• Care for and handle laboratory animals such as rat and mice.
• Organize and maintain accurate records of experimental procedures.
• Perform basic mathematical and statistical computations, analyses, and interpretations.
• Communicate fluently in English orally and in writing.
• Work with SPSS/GraphPad Prism, Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and emails.
• Work outside working hours and weekends if needed