Summary

The Division of Congenital Heart Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine is seeking an experienced Research Coordinator for the Heart Center Tissue Bank to support Tissue Bank operations and ongoing translational research studies in the Heart Center. This is an opportunity for an experienced, self-motivated, and team-oriented individual to contribute to a growing collaborative research program within the interdisciplinary Texas Children’s Heart Center. 

Provides biospecimen procurement and data management support for Heart Center collaborative research programs. Under oversight of the Director of Surgery Tissue Bank provides on-the-ground training and support for junior tissue bank research personnel and trainees. Maintains all local, sponsor and federally mandated training requirements for participation in human subjects’ research.

The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational and written/oral communication skills, the ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, the ability to manage multiple projects and commitments simultaneously, and the ability to prioritize task completion to meet competing deadlines.

Job Duties

The Research Coordinator is responsible for daily functioning of the tissue bank. Working closely with Heart Center faculty, staff and trainees, the Research Assistant ensures efficient execution of all tissue bank related activities, including but not limited to:

• Interfaces with patient/family members to obtain legal consent.
• Assists in the identification and subsequent consent of subjects.
• Interacts with operation room nursing staff to coordinate specimen procurement.   
• Performs specimen collection and transport.
• Performs processing of specimens for storage as well as research experiments in the laboratory.
• Assists in preparation and implementation of Tissue Bank (Standard Operating Procedures) SOPs.
• Performs clinical data entry in tissue bank databases and maintain accurate inventory records.  
• Ensures appropriate communication and coordination with tissue processing labs, Pathology and other Individual research labs. 
• Oversees and keeps stock of tissue bank supplies.  
• Assists with regulatory tasks for research protocols supported by the tissue bank.
• Performs other duties as assigned. 
   

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field. Four years of related experience may substitute for degree requirement.
• One year of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Basic Science, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology or related field.
• Prior experience in tissue banking, clinical research, laboratory work and specimen handling.