Research Assistant, Microbiology/Parasitology
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine is recruiting a Research Assistant for the Respiratory and Infectious Diseases Programme, Laboratory of Antimicrobial Resistance and Drug Discovery under Professor Pablo Bifani.
Malaria continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality associated with an infectious disease, accounting for 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths in 2022 alone. The lab is interested in the understanding of the mechanisms of drug resistance associated with antimicrobials, including antimalarial drugs. The job entails deciphering the mechanisms of resistance to existing and newly identified antimalarials. The candidate will be required to work with human and simian malarial parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, P. cynomolgi and P. knowlesi and performed forward and reverse genetic experiments to better understand the mechanisms of drug resistance.
Key Responsibilities:
- Bacterial assay development, assay optimization and compound screening.
- Target deconvolution (understanding mechanisms of action and resistance of selected compounds).
- Design and conduct experiments including data collection and analysis.
- Summarize and present the data in lab meetings.
- Develop new research techniques and approaches.
- Perform maintenance of inventory and procurement of laboratory consumables.
- Ensure safe technical practices and procedures.
Key Competencies and Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences or related fields.
- Experience working with the malaria parasite and basic molecular biology skills.
- Willing to learn and feel comfortable working with various malaria parasites (primarily) and bacteria.
- Highly adaptable at working with different organisms and techniques.
- Collaborative spirit with internal and external collaborators.
