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Posted Job Title
Research Specialist B/C
Job Profile Title
Research Specialist B
Job Description Summary
The Platt Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania seeks a Research Specialist to manage the biobanking, sample processing, quality control, data management, and logistics operations of the CayoBank Core of a newly funded NIA U19 grant studying aging heterogeneity in rhesus macaques. CayoBank is a multi-institutional biobank of archived specimens spanning the full lifespan and supporting transcriptomic, epigenomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses across 15 tissue types.
This position serves as the operational backbone of Penn-based biobank activities and requires precision, strong organization, and the ability to coordinate complex workflows across a multi-institutional network.
Job Description
Job Responsibilities
Research Specialist B
Conduct laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and standardized quality-control testing. Troubleshoot processing issues, assess sample quality, document results, and support downstream analyses.
Participate in laboratory and biobank management, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data entry, chain-of-custody records, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOPs, progress reporting, equipment maintenance, and laboratory organization.
Train and supervise undergraduate students and rotating laboratory members on sample handling, aliquoting, safety practices, and LIMS/data-entry procedures; provide technical guidance for related projects.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Research Specialist C
Lead complex laboratory research and biobank operations, including organ dissection, tissue aliquoting, blood-product processing, prospective sample intake, molecular-sample preparation, and advanced quality-control testing. Develop and optimize methods, resolve complex processing and sample-quality issues, interpret results, and recommend corrective actions for downstream analyses.
Coordinate laboratory and biobank management across Penn and partner sites, including ultralow-temperature storage, cold-chain monitoring, 2D barcoding, LIMS/CayoHub data quality, chain-of-custody controls, multi-site shipping, regulatory documentation, inventory, SOP governance, progress reporting, equipment readiness, and workflow planning.
Train and supervise students, research staff, and rotating laboratory members; establish…