I. DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Job Description Summary:

The George Washington University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) looks at how environmental and occupational exposures impact human health. It explores the underlying science and policy for issues such as sustainable cities and food systems, climate change, infectious diseases, workplace safety and risk management. The microbiome and molecular epidemiology research group at EOH specifically studies how human behavior affect the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in plants and animals, and how that affect human health. It also explores behavioral and environmental factors that affect the human microbiome and in turn, how the human microbiome can affect host susceptibility to infectious diseases.

EOH is searching for a full-time Senior Research Associate to join our microbiome and molecular epidemiology research group led by Drs. Cindy Liu and Lance Price. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team on a wide range of microbial genomic and microbiome research projects.

This laboratory-focused position will use culture-based and molecular laboratory methods and work with a multidisciplinary team at GW:

1. Characterize bacteria associated with inflammation and HIV infection, including their strain diversity, genomic content, and virulence mechanisms.
2. Evaluate the role of host-associated nasal and gut microbial communities on transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and on host susceptibility to colonization and infection; and
3. Work to identify and characterize probiotic candidates for preventing and decolonization of nasal and gut colonizing opportunistic pathogen.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage workflow of microbiome studies, including sample tracking, processing, and isolation of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA), and preparation of sequencing libraries.
• Develop and implement new laboratory research protocols with guidance from Dr. Liu and collaborators to collect metagenomic/transcriptomic/proteomic/metabolomic data from clinical studies and in vitro experiments.
• Work closely with Dr. Liu and collaborators to design in vitro studies to identify and characterize both probiotic candidates and bacteria associated with inflammation.
• Assist with managing general lab activities, such as inventory, equipment maintenance, and lab clean-up,
• Compile data and perform preliminary data analysis in collaboration with bioinformaticists, epidemiologist, and wet laboratory staff from the research team,
• Assist Dr. Liu with the preparation of grant applications, manuscripts, and presentations
• Supervise masters (MPH) students and other trainees, as needed.
• As needed, support study coordination functions, including IRB and study protocol preparation and submission, CDC permit application preparation and submission, and grant reports with guidance from the PI
• Performs other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

The Senior Research Associate will work closely with Dr. Liu but will work directly with both PIs (Drs. Cindy Liu and Lance Price). The initial appointment is for one year, with opportunity for an extension after successful completion of the first year.