Research Technician II

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world's deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

The Talbot Lab is recruiting a curious and motivated Research Technician II to join a research program centered on the enteric nervous system and its role in intestinal physiology. Our central aim is to understand how neuroimmune circuits - the functional interactions between neurons and immune cells - coordinate immune responses and metabolic functions in the gut.

Using a combination of genetic, pharmacologic, cellular, and molecular approaches, our team investigates how neurons and immune cells communicate in the intestine, how microbial and dietary cues activate enteric neurons, and how these circuits regulate processes such as immune surveillance and nutrient absorption. The work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, microbiology, nutrition, and gastroenterology, and aims to clarify how cellular circuits integrate diverse physiological signals.

A longer-term goal of this research is to identify strategies that leverage the modulation of enteric neurons to address gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, enteric infections, malabsorption disorders, and metabolic dysfunction.

The successful candidate will work closely with the PI and other lab members on bench-based experimental projects, contribute intellectually and technically to ongoing studies, and play a meaningful role in the lab's daily operations. We are looking for someone who is genuinely engaged by the science, takes ownership of their work, and thrives in a collaborative, learning-focused environment. Research Technicians in our lab are expected to develop into independent contributors over time and can contribute to publications.

Work in close collaboration with the Principal Investigator to advance the scientific goals of the lab, while developing the capacity to operate independently on assigned analytical projects.
Contribute to the daily operation and organization of the laboratory's computational infrastructure, including responsibilities related to data stewardship, code versioning and documentation, pipeline maintenance, and reproducible record-keeping.
Perform computational analyses across a range of data modalities generated by the lab, including:
• Processing and quality control of single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq datasets, including alignment, ambient RNA removal, normalization, batch correction, and integration across datasets.
• Analysis of in vivo and ex vivo calcium imaging data, including motion correction, ROI segmentation, trace extraction, and event detection.
• Quantitative analysis and visualization of experimental data, including the preparation of publication-quality figures, summary reports, and reproducible analysis notebooks.
• Develop, maintain, and document analysis pipelines and internal tools, with attention to reproducibility, version control, and clear hand-off to other lab members.
• Coordinate with wet-lab personnel on experimental design, sample tracking, and metadata capture to ensure analytical outputs are interpretable and reproducible.
• Participate in lab meetings, journal clubs, and project discussions, with the expectation of engaging actively in the scientific reasoning behind experiments and contributing computational perspectives to project planning.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in related scientific field or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 2 years of experience working in a lab outside of school coursework

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant biological science, computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, or related quantitative field
• Proficiency in Python and/or R, familiarity with the Unix command line, and working knowledge of version control (git)
• A working knowledge of standard techniques in at least one of the following areas is required: molecular biology or microbiology (e.g., nucleic acid isolation and manipulation, PCR, cloning, protein isolation and purification), neuroscience (e.g., stereotaxic manipulation and injections) or immunology (e.g., flow cytometry, cell staining).
• Prior experience working with animal models is strongly preferred. Experience with any vertebrate or invertebrate model (e.g., mouse, zebrafish, Drosophila) is acceptable.
• Prior experience with neuroscience, immunology, or mouse husbandry is not required, but candidates with this background will be given preference.
• Strong attention to detail, careful record-keeping, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

The hourly pay range for this position is from $27.01 to $38.45 and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (12-22 days per year), paid sick leave (12-25 days per year), paid holidays (13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).