Research Assistant 2 – Animal Colony & Molecular Biology

About the role

The Prof. Arnim Pause Lab at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute is seeking a Research Assistant 2 to support animal‑based and molecular biology projects. You will work closely with the PI and lab members to maintain core research resources and contribute to experimental workflows.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the mouse colony, including husbandry, genotyping, and participation in surgical procedures.
• Maintain and expand cell lines; perform western blot, RT‑qPCR and related assays.
• Execute molecular cloning, lentiviral construct design, and stable/inducible cell line generation.
• Conduct immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to characterize tumor and organoid phenotypes.
• Assist with tumor and tissue processing (FFPE and frozen sections) and downstream histological analysis.
• Support lab‑manager duties such as record‑keeping and financial administration.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline.
• Certified training in animal handling, husbandry and procedures, capable of independently managing the mouse colony.
• Familiarity with the lab’s core techniques and ongoing projects for rapid onboarding.
• Proficiency in molecular cloning, lentiviral design, and generation of stable cell lines.
• Strong command of English (level 4) for written and verbal communication.

Required skills

• Animal handling, genotyping, and surgical assistance.
• Cell culture and maintenance.
• Western blot, RT‑qPCR.
• Molecular cloning, lentiviral construct design, transformation/transfection.
• Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy.
• FFPE and frozen tissue processing, histological analysis.

What we offer

• Hourly salary of $34.65 CAD.
• Full‑time position (40 hours/week).
• Coverage by the AMURE collective agreement.