Research Assistant I

About the Role

This position offers an opportunity to support cutting-edge neuromuscular disease research in the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Engle at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The work utilizes human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), spinal cord organoids, skeletal muscle, and functional neuromuscular junction (NMJ) models to study spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and therapeutic strategies. This role is ideal for a self-motivated and detail-oriented individual interested in developing a broad skill set. The successful candidate will join the Eagles Lab as a Laboratory Research Assistant I, working under the supervision of Dr. Kuchuan Chen. Evenings and weekend hours will occasionally be required for cell culture experiments.

Key Responsibilities

• Human iPSC culture, expansion, cryopreservation, and routine quality control
• Differentiation of iPSCs into spinal cord organoids and skeletal myogenic progenitors
• Establishment and maintenance of human neuromuscular junction (NMJ) cultures and assembloids
• Preparation and execution of functional NMJ drug screens and hit-validation experiments
• Microscopy and live-cell functional imaging (i.e. fluorescence, confocal, GCaMP calcium imaging)
• Cryosectioning, immunofluorescence staining, and quantitative image analysis
• RNA purification, cDNA preparation, and quantitative PCR (qPCR)
• Cell/nuclei dissociation, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), and sample preparation for single-cell/single-nucleus profiling
• Basic mouse work, including genotyping, tissue collection, and tissue processing
• Preparation of media and reagents, maintenance of research equipment, and other routine lab tasks
• Maintaining detailed records of experiments, cell lines, and analyses in lab notebooks and databases
• Participation in weekly group meetings (including presenting research progress at lab meetings)

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Human iPSC/stem cell culture, neuron or muscle differentiation, or organoid culture
• Familiarity with motor neuron, skeletal muscle, or other mammalian cell culture systems
• Familiarity with immunostaining, cryosectioning, fluorescence/confocal microscopy, or live-cell imaging
• qPCR/RNA purification, FACS/flow cytometry, high-throughput assays, or mouse models are pluses, but not required
• Hands-on experience in sterile cell culture techniques, basic wet bench skills, and operating standard lab equipment
• Ability to maintain and manage complex cell-culture workflows, including careful, reproducible aseptic technique and pipetting

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in STEM or Psychology is required.
• Preference for a degree in Biology, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field.