Laboratory Research TechnicianVI/Research Scientist

Eagle Integrated Services, LLC (EIS) is seeking a Laboratory Research Technician VI/Research Scientist specializing in animal research.  The Research Technician VI/Research Scientist will complete various tasks supporting research with non-human primates (NHPs) under active protocols.

Position Responsibilities:

• Conduct animal movement, transportation, feeding, behavioral training, surgery, surgical support, veterinary technical support, bio-sampling (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, etc.), and all experimentation. 
• Draft reports, figures, and slide summaries of experimental methods and results, and other written work, as needed.
• Maintain specialized laboratory equipment, such as experimental and behavioral equipment, outside of traditional medical maintenance services.  This includes proper care and calibration of experimental and behavioral materials, cleaning routine experimental equipment, verifying functionality of experimental equipment, calibrating scales.
• Create graphical and textual descriptions of experimental outcomes and assist with implementation of new technologies within the laboratory relevant to the research areas of interest.
• Conduct biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and behavioral components of experimental investigations in collaboration with the PI. The experiments will determine the effects of threats/hazards and be capable of testing medical interventions in several species.
• Clean and troubleshoot laboratory hardware and software necessary to conduct physiological and behavioral assessments. Conduct and coordinate inspections of laboratory spaces, supplies, and equipment necessary to conduct research.
• Compile and analyze experimental data with custom-written software and with commercially available spreadsheet, graphics, and statistical analysis programs.
• Aseptic maintenance of surgically placed vascular access ports in NHPs; and perform daily flush and visual inspection of central lines for proper placement, signs of distress and infection IAW local SOP and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) guidelines.
• Perform or assist personnel with surgical procedures on NHPs, to include vascular access port placement and/or implantation of physiologic monitoring telemetry devices; adhere to local SOP and IACUC guidelines for survival surgery by preparation of surgical site and asepsis; intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous or oral administration of fluids, anesthetics, analgesics, or barbiturates; calculate proper doses of fluids, anesthesia, or pharmaceuticals by solubility, concentration, body weight or volume; maintenance of plane of anesthesia during surgical procedures; post-surgical recovery and evaluation.
• Assist in the development of research protocols, amendments and experimental design; conduct research in accordance with all safety, surety, security standards, IACUC policies and governing SOPs; prepare and maintain a clean, safe work environment of laboratory and animal space to include proper disposal of potentially hazardous animal and laboratory waste products; humanely euthanize surviving animals; communicate dynamic protocol requirements to team members, collaborators, and support personnel.
• Perform necropsy and harvest tissue from deceased experimental animals and properly dispose of animal carcasses.
• Perform solubility studies of various threat agents and therapeutic compounds of interest; assess animal health and behavior for safety and efficacy of novel candidate therapeutic compounds following administration by intramuscular, subcutaneous, or intravenous routes; record findings in laboratory notebooks during or immediately following the experiments.
• Implement an enrichment plan consistent with institutional standards and in support of protocol needs; assess social environment and hierarchy to maximize beneficial social partnership/pairing of NHPs; and oversee implementation and administration of birth control methods as appropriate; pair/separate animals as dictated by governmental need and research protocols, or experimental and feed schedules.
• Conduct an NHP training program to assess behavioral competence and compliance, to include pole and collar/chair training, bio-sampling, squeeze and restraint training, and injection tolerance; conduct operant behavioral panel testing to include calibration, maintenance, parameter optimization, and sanitization.
• Modify or update existing assessment hardware for use in new neurobehavioral assessments; train personnel on the calibration, maintenance, parameter optimization, and sanitization of the modified hardware.
• Perform or assist personnel with surgical procedures on NHP cadavers to include perfusion and/or implantation of monitoring devices (e.g., telemetry); adhere to local SOP and IACUC guidelines for cadaveric surgery; post-surgical evaluation.

Education/Experience:

• Master of Science from an accredited university/college in Biological sciences or similar field.

Minimum Experience/ Training Requirements:

• Knowledge of pharmacology and neuroscience as applied to medical defense research
• Experience working in a research laboratory
• Experience executing animal use protocols.
• Experience handling NHPs preferred, or 1+ years in animal or husbandry research
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent adaptability to new research team/project assignment per organizational needs
• Direct experience conducting operant in vivo behavioral training/testing

Background/Security:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• An active DoD Interim SECRET Security Clearance is required