Research Associate (MPhil/PhD student), Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Research Associate (MPhil/PhD student), Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Introduction

Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities and well-equipped diagnostic services. The University currently has teaching sites in Pakistan, East Africa, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, and is a major component of the Aga Khan Development Network.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

The Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences invites applications for the position of Research Associate/PSF Fellow to work on the Pakistan Science Foundation-sponsored project No PSF/Res/S-AKU/Med (564), entitled “Assessment of Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Changes in Expression of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Markers in Prostate Carcinoma Tissues and Cell Lines”. This is a contractual position. 

This is a grant-funded contractual position.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible to:

• assist the principal investigator in planning, managing, and conducting research projects by determining theoretical and practical aspects of problems and selecting methods of approach
• recruit study participants and collect clinical samples from Aga Khan University Hospital and other healthcare facilities
• tabulate and correlate data compiled in research studies and interpret the results
• conduct experiments, devise instrumentation and techniques to record and collect test results
• prepare write-ups of results, research manuscripts, presentations, and grant proposals
• assist students and laboratory staff in setting up and conducting laboratory sessions.

Requirements

You should have:

• be enrolled in MS/MSc (Hon)/MPhil or PhD in biological sciences (microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, genetics, etc.) with at least two first divisions (one in the last degree) and no third division throughout the academic career
• at least one year of relevant hands-on work experience
• working knowledge of biomedical or biological sciences with skills in laboratory techniques
• be self-motivated, professional, a team player, and detail-oriented
• the ability to contribute intellectual input to assigned research projects
• the ability to multitask across various aspects of projects and work in a fast-paced environment
• demonstrate a strong commitment to superior quality professional service
• excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills for working in a group
• experience in data entry, preparation, and maintenance of records and related documents, such as research reports and data analysis
• be result-oriented with the ability to meet deadlines.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.