The Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center seeks a highly qualified candidate to join our growing team within the Immunogenetics and Cellular Immunology Histocompatibility Lab. The Staff Associate must be able to perform histocompatibility testing, and analyze and interpret clinical testing results. The Staff Associate maintains equipment and records; performs proficiency testing, quality control, and quality assurance activities; performs miscellaneous functions required to maintain smooth department operation. They will conduct basic and translational research  in transplantation, perform experiments to characterize immune regulatory mechanisms,and monitor immune status in transplant recipients.

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Job Function:

The Staff Associate must be able to perform histocompatibility testing, and analyze and interpret clinical testing results. They maintain equipment and records; perform proficiency testing, quality control, quality assurance activities, and perform miscellaneous functions required to maintain smooth department operation.

Specific responsibilities and duties are listed below for each title and grade (SAI, SAII, and SAIII):

Clinical Duties:

·         Staff Associate I: Must be able to perform molecular HLA typing using Next-generation sequencing (NGS), rSSO Luminex-based, and R-T PCR methodologies. Must analyze and interpret the clinical testing results and assign HLA-class I and class II typing. Perform serum screening of anti-HLA antibodies by CDC and Luminex-based SPA. Must be able to crossmatch with both CDC and FCXM.

·         Staff Associate II: Must be able to perform all duties listed in the Staff Associate I position. Must serve on-call coverage for deceased donor cross-matching and can make independent judgments without supervision. It is required to use the laboratory information systems (LIS) for clinical operations.

·         Staff Associate III: Must be able to perform all duties listed in the Staff Associate II position. Responsible for training residents, fellows, and new technicians. Miscellaneous functions required to maintain smooth department operation, such as reagent ordering, inventory control, and reagent preparation; and is required to use the laboratory information systems (LIS) for clinical operation.

Research Duties:

·         Staff Associate I: N/A

·         Staff Associate II: Will conduct basic and translational research studies in the transplantation field, perform experiments to characterize immune regulatory mechanisms, and monitor the immune status of transplant recipients with minimal supervision. Broad understanding of research techniques, software, and instruments used in the project.

·         Staff Associate III: Will perform the same research duties listed as Staff Associate II. Broad understanding of research techniques, software, and instruments used in the project.

Lab Mission/Purpose:

 Columbia University Medical Center's Immunogenetics and Cellular Immunology (ICI) Laboratory has been a pioneer in the HLA field, with a 50-year history of excellence in clinical testing. The laboratory offers comprehensive quality testing and consultation in three distinct NYSDOH areas of accreditation: histocompatibility, cellular immunology, and transplant monitoring. It also hosts several active research interests relating to transplantation outcomes, generation of immunological tolerance, and new biomarker discovery and characterization.

To read more about the lab, please visit: https://www.pathology.columbia.edu/diagnostic-specialties/laboratory-medicine-division/immunogenetics-and-cellular-immunology-laboratory

Minimum Education Requirements:

• All levels: NYS Clinical Laboratory Technologist (CLT) is required. Bachelor?s degree (or higher) in natural sciences (Chemistry or Biology preferred).

Minimum Skills Required:

• Staff Associate I: Prior experience in Histocompatibility testing is requisite.

• Staff Associate II: 2 to 4 years of specialized experience in high-complexity testing in a clinical laboratory setting. NYSED Clinical Laboratory Technologist (CLT) license, and be ready to participate in on-call coverage for deceased donor crossmatches. Prior experience in Histocompatibility testing is requisite.

• Staff Associate III: 4 to 6 years of specialized experience in high-complexity testing in a clinical laboratory setting. NYSED Clinical Laboratory Technologist (CLT) license, and be ready to participate in on-call coverage for deceased donor crossmatches. Prior experience in Histocompatibility testing is requisite.

Hiring Salary Range:

Staff Associate I: $64,350- $83,500

Staff Associate II: $64,800- $95,000

Staff Associate III: $65,508- $105,000

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.  The above hiring range represents the University?s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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