Research Specialist

About the job

Be a Tar Heel!

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary

The Ferguson Laboratory at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies is a translational research lab working to understand the biological mechanisms that contribute to vulnerability or resilience to addiction and other psychiatric disorders, as well as differences in treatment response and outcomes. We combine mouse models and human subjects research to investigate how alcohol affects the brain and body, identify blood-based biomarkers, and discover new therapeutic targets.

We are looking for a motivated and organized Research Specialist to join our team! This position combines hands-on participation in research with responsibility for keeping the lab running smoothly, including ordering, inventory, laboratory organization, research documentation, and regulatory support. We value collaboration, initiative, open communication, and a desire to learn.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Management Preferences

• Interest in alcohol/addiction neuroscience, neuropharmacology, neuroimmunology, genomics, or translational neuroscience

• Strong organizational, documentation, or recordkeeping skills

• Prior research experience, preferably in mouse behavior and/or relevant laboratory molecular biology or biochemical techniques such as nucleic acid purification, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, blood processing.

• Ability to work independently to take ownership of assigned responsibilities

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.