Sanford Burnham Prebys is much more than a research facility and hub for innovation; it’s a vibrant global community of talented scientists and researchers from over 30 countries. This worldwide representation enriches our perspectives and enhances our creative approach to solving complex scientific challenges.

We strive to be leaders not only in biomedical research but also in creating an environment where excellence thrives through collaboration across cultures and backgrounds. Our mission is to advance the biomedical sciences by cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders, providing meaningful opportunities for researchers of all backgrounds to learn, innovate, and make breakthrough discoveries that improve human health.

Together, we translate science into health.

The duties and responsibilities contained in the job description are intended to be examples of the accountabilities for which the person in the position will demonstrate competency through performance. The job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Duties and responsibilities are subject to change and other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Summary:

Sanford Burnham Prebys is a preeminent, independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease,and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health.

The Will Wang lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys is recruiting a research associate to support research in Spatial Omics, Aging Biology, and Neuromuscular Disorders starting in November, 2025.

The Wang lab is interested in elucidating critical cell-cell interactions that regulate the process of skeletal muscle innervation with a focus in immunology and aging. The Wang lab has developed novel computational approaches to map spatial temporal processes within the tissue at single cell resolution. Using animal models, we aim to resolve the interaction between muscle and nerve, along with the plethora of supportive cell types including immune cells. See our lab website for more information: www.willwanglab.com

The research associate will have an opportunity to integrate into a dynamic and productive scientific team and learn state-of-the-art single cell spatial approaches such as spatial transcriptomics, multiplexed immunofluorescence (CODEX), single cell multiomics (RNA and ATAC-seq), as well as the opportunity to perform computational, AI/ML methods to gain biological insights and develop new computational algorithms to extract information from these big data methods. The research associate will gain fundamental experience in laboratory operations, experimentation, and receive career development for academic and industry opporunties.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support on-going research in the Will Wang lab at SBP.
• Perform regular maintenance tasks such as stocking common reagents, glassware, and maintainence procedures for lab equipment.
• Follow established experimental protocols to support a range of research projects in the lab including preparation of reagents and tissues for spatial-omics, molecular biology assays, cell culture, and in vivo studies.
• Effectively communicate with others in the lab members.
• Managing cross-lab collaborations and providing progress updates to stakeholders
• Conduct animal (mice) and tissue culture experiments as required by the project design.
• Perform tissue collection, histology, fluorescence activated cell sorting isolation of specific cell types, and molecular analysis of gene and protein expression.
• Keep detailed notations of experiments and organized records.
• Participate in lab meetings, project discussions, prepare experimental reports.
• Training will be provided on the job.

Education and/or Experience:

• Candidates should have a recent completed undergraduate in Biological Sciences or equivalent by the position start date (11/2025).
• Have basic experience in a laboratory setting
• Driven to learn advanced molecular cell biology, genomics, drug discovery, screening approaches.
• Dual experience in cell biology & computer sciences is desired.

Other Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities:

• Qualified candidates should have a demonstrated ability for independent and critical thinking, and teamwork skills.
• Qualified candidates should have a strong interest in molecular and cellular biology, fluorescent microscopy, and gene expression / data analyses.
• Qualified candidates should have good to excellent verbal, and written communication skills.
• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Teams applications
• Familiarity and interest with programming and code environment (Python, R, Jupyter notebooks) is highly desirable.
• Embody the Institute's core values of Commitment, Collaboration, Communication, Community and Compassion. Inquiries: wwang@sbpdiscovery.org

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not have any formal supervisory responsibilities

Compensation: The expected hiring range for this position is $43,703.00 - $54,629.00 commensurate with experience.

We welcome talented individuals of all backgrounds regardless of gender, sex, religion, race, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, perceived disability, pregnancy, pregnancy-related condition, reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS, marital status, covered veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer.

As part of this commitment, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our Benefits Team at (858) 646-3100 or via e-mail at benefits@sbpdiscovery.org