Work as a Research Assistant with Dr. Leonard Zon, Grousbeck Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, HHMI Investigator, and HSCI Faculty Member.
The lab utilizes the zebrafish model system and cutting-edge technologies to study the role of gene expression in hematopoiesis, cancer, and stem cell development. They aspire to develop and improve drug therapies and treatments for patients with blood disorders and cancer. The lab is based in two locations: Longwood Medical Area (Boston) and Harvard University (Cambridge).
They carry out research in two areas of biology:
- Hematopoiesis: Each day, humans require the production of ~100 billion new blood cells for proper hematopoietic function. Assaults to this system can cause diseases including leukemias, lymphomas, and anemias. They study how hematopoietic progenitor cells are induced from vascular precursors, how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) engraft
into their stem cell niche, what genes controls stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, what goes awry in blood cancers & diseases, and how to improve treatments such as bone marrow transplants. - Melanoma: The Zon Lab created the first animal model of a BRAFdriven cancer in 2005 with the publication of our zebrafish melanoma model. The lab has gone on to identify genes important in melanoma initiation such as SPRED1 and SETDB1. They study epigenetic regulators of melanoma onset, molecular events in melanoma initiation, and mechanisms of melanoma drug resistance
Positions available:
- Research Assistants: They are looking for multiple candidates with strong biology backgrounds. Research assistants will utilize a variety of molecular biology techniques, microinjections, microscopy, and tissue culture in addition to working with zebrafish.
- Bioinformatics Specialist: The last three bioinformatics specialists in their lab have been premedical students with a computer science focus. The individual will work on widely applicable computational analyses on the data from lab experiments and will learn to create novel analysis pipelines to handle more complex biological questions.
Qualities they are looking for: Highly motivated, intellectually curious, strong organizational skills, and an ability to work independently.
Benefits to you: Many recent college graduates spend time as Zon Lab research assistants prior to successfully moving on to positions in medical school, graduate school and other health professions. You will learn how to design and execute state-of-the-art experiments, providing an excellent opportunity to grow creatively as a scientist and to think critically about how the lab translates to the clinic. Research assistants regularly give presentations and are authors on primary research papers, providing a competitive edge when applying to graduate and medical programs.
Email your cover letter & CV to Dr. Bruce Barut (Lab Manager).
Positions are competitive and require a two-year commitment beginning summer 2019