Summary

The candidate will provide hands‑on instruction and technical expertise in the trophoblast isolation procedure used for isolating and culturing placental cells. This role will support laboratory personnel by demonstrating best practices, troubleshooting workflow challenges, and ensuring accurate execution of each step of the protocol. The technician will play a key role in maintaining high‑quality, reproducible results by transferring specialized procedural knowledge gained from prior experience. This position is hourly and focused solely on training and technical skill development for the research team. The candidate will work 8 hours per week.

Training in Specialized Placental Cell Isolation Methods. Provides expert, hands‑on training to personnel in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology research laboratory on the complete trophoblast isolation procedure. This includes placental tissue handling, mechanical and enzymatic dissociation, Percoll gradient separation, and primary trophoblast culture initiation. Ensures all steps adhere to departmental protocols for biospecimen management and sterile techniques.

Support for Perinatal Research Projects. Contributes technical expertise to ongoing departmental research focused on placental biology, perinatal health, and environmental exposures affecting fetal development. Ensures that newly trained staff can produce consistent, high‑quality trophoblast preparations required for downstream analyses such as transcriptomics, imaging, and functional assays.

Laboratory Workflow Standardization and Quality Assurance. Works with the PI and lab manager to harmonize trophoblast isolation procedures across team members to reduce variability in experiments and improve reproducibility of departmental research studies. Identifies deviations from established protocols, provides corrective guidance, and ensures that all practices align with institutional safety and compliance standards.

Technical Resource for Lab Staff. Serves as the primary technical resource for staff performing isolations after training is completed. Provides troubleshooting guidance on issues such as cell yield, viability, centrifugation gradients, and culture performance. Offers feedback to continuously improve procedural efficiency in a research environment where isolations can take 6–8 hours.

Support for Lab Operations and Biospecimen Handling. Assists the team in preparing necessary materials, reagents, and equipment for trophoblast procedures, including biosafety hood setup, centrifuge configuration, and reagent verification. Ensures proper use of departmental shared equipment and adherence to safety standards for handling human placenta specimens.

Communication and Documentation in Support of Department Goals. Provides updates to the PI and lab manager on training progress, operational needs, and observations that may inform protocol refinement. May assist in updating internal SOPs, checklists, or training materials to support consistent application of specialized techniques across the research group.

Job Duties

• Provides hands‑on training to research staff in the full trophoblast isolation workflow, including tissue preparation, enzymatic digestion, gradient separation, and primary cell culture setup. 
• Demonstrates best practices for maintaining sample integrity, sterile technique, and cell viability throughout the procedure. 
• Trains 2–5 laboratory employees, ensuring each trainee can independently and accurately execute the protocol. 
• Serves as the primary technical resource for questions and troubleshooting during and after training sessions.
• Oversees the execution of the trophoblast isolation procedure during training days to ensure reproducible and high‑quality yields that meet research standards. 
• Identifies workflow deviations or errors in real time and provides corrective guidance to staff. 
• Helps standardize technique across team members to minimize variability in downstream experiments and maintain compliance with laboratory protocols.
• Advises staff on proper setup and utilization of equipment required for trophoblast isolation (e.g., centrifuges, biosafety cabinets, tissue culture materials). 
• Reviews reagent needs and procedural setup prior to each training session to ensure efficient use of time and resources. 
• Contributes to optimizing workflow logistics for a procedure lasting 6–8 hours, reducing bottlenecks and improving overall efficiency for the research team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a Basic Science or a related field. 
• Three years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in basic science or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience performing trophoblast isolation, including tissue processing, enzymatic digestion, gradient separation, and primary trophoblast culture.
• Previous experience working in a perinatal or placental biology research laboratory, particularly within an academic medical center environment.