Garvan Institute of Medical Research brings together world leading scientists and clinicians, collaborating locally and globally, to advance our understanding of disease, particularly cancer, autoimmunity and genetic disorders. Garvan is a global leader in fundamental biomedical research and its translation. Our mission is to make discoveries that will improve health for all. Marina Pajic heads an innovative multidisciplinary personalised medicine for pancreatic cancer research program. Her research builds on and goes beyond our knowledge of the genetics of cancer, to better understand how the surrounding tumour environment controls and drives the aggressive nature of this disease, metastasis of the cancer, and resistance to treatment. With this new insight, her team is developing novel, tailored therapeutic interventions, whereby cancers are selected for optimal treatment based on their overall molecular “fingerprint”. We study human disease using advanced molecular and cellular biology, immunology & imaging methodologies. THE OPPORTUNITY We are seeking a highly motivated Research Assistant with experience in immunology and cancer biology to join our research team. The successful candidate will contribute to projects investigating immune responses in cancer, supporting both experimental design and laboratory-based studies. Key responsibilities include conducting cell culture and molecular biology assays, assisting with in vivo or ex vivo experiments, functional assays, analysing and interpreting data, and maintaining accurate laboratory records. The role also involves contributing to manuscript preparation and collaborating with multidisciplinary team members. The ideal candidate will have a degree in biomedical science or a related field, with hands-on experience in immunological techniques (e.g., flow cytometry including multiparameter flow, ELISA, immune cell profiling), cell culture, ex vivo functional assays and cancer research models. Our lab utilises a range of in vitro (2D and 3D) and in vivo patient-derived and genetic models of pancreatic cancer, and place a strong emphasis on clinically focused laboratory research in partnership with patients who donate their tissues for scientific discovery. Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team are essential. Salary: Up to $94,300 14% super salary packaging (depending on experience) Employment Type: 1 year fixed-term contract with possibility to extend SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses $2,650 meals/accom) Ample opportunities for on-going training and development Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave Discounted Health Insurance Lifestyle discounts with our community partners WHAT YOU WILL DO The Research Assistant will be responsible for: Successfully completing several research projects in an efficient and timely manner, with regard to key therapeutic intervention studies aimed at developing new treatment options for cancer, including providing data for the preparation of publications and research proposal submissions to external funding bodies Design and manage own experiments and report and discuss findings back to supervisor Regularly attend extra seminar meetings and conferences Contribute towards research projects through to joint authorship of abstracts and publications in journals specific to field Develop research-related material for the benefit of scholars with appropriate guidance from senior staff, and assist in the design and/or the operation of specialised laboratory and technical equipment or the conduct of advanced research procedures; Proactively and efficiently manage the administrative functions associated with lab management Organise resource and equipment issues Conducting experiments and other duties in a timely, efficient and diligent manner to assist in the overall project progressing expeditiously Adopting published methods and applying them in our research Developing, evaluating and applying alternative methodologies to optimise sensitivity and reproducibility, as the need arises Involved in the appropriate databasing of results (the incumbent should maintain proficiency with computers) Collating and recording experimental data accurately, writing up experimental procedures and contributing to the interpretation of experimental results Participating in regular meetings with the Lab Head to discuss current and planned experiments Ordering of consumables Making recommendations to Lab Head about ways of improving techniques, quantitative methods Other duties as assigned General responsibilities include: All staff are required to comply with Garvan’s workplace polices (as amended from time to time) and especially Garvan’s Work Health & Safety (WHS) Policy, including working in accordance with the WHS management system at all times, as safety is Garvan’s number one priority. ABOUT YOU The key skills and experience include: Bachelor’s degree in science or medicine (with Honours) Experience in immunological techniques (e.g., flow cytometry including multiparameter flow, ELISA, immune cell profiling), cell culture, ex vivo functional assays and cancer research models. Advanced communication skills, both written and verbal Advanced problem-solving skills Presentation skills – professionally drawn graphs, figure legends and method sections to publishable standard Proficiency in interpreting data and results Sound understanding of clinical aspects of the research required Displays considerable experience and expertise in a broad range of procedures relevant to the current research field Appointment at this level would normally require at least 5 years’ experience within a lab, however this alone is not sufficient. ABOUT GARVAN Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s. Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome. We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease. Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively. HOW TO APPLY To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.
