Research Assistant Lab Technician Opportunity in Ren Lab

The Ren Lab (www.ren-lab.org), led by Dr. Jian Ren, currently seeks highly motivated research assistants/lab technicians to work at the interfaces of imaging, nanotechnology, and computational science with broad biomedical applications, such as brain mapping and Alzheimer’s Disease. The goal of the lab is to understand complex biological systems by developing large-scale imaging and mapping methodologies. The team integrates photonic, biochemical, and computational approaches to enable quantitative investigation in fully- assembled biosystems at the ‘ground truth’ level, addressing the fundamentals of these systems in a systematic and scalable manner. The Ren Lab also aims to develop enabling medical tools empowered by new photonic devices and to integrate complementary modalities for a wide range of clinical applications, such as intraoperative guidance.

The lab is located in the Gordon Center for Medical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Leveraging a full spectrum of state-of-the-art research facilities and collaborations with many world-renowned institutions in the greater Boston area, including MIT, Harvard, Broad, and BU, the lab enjoys a highly interdisciplinary and intellectually stimulating scientific environment. The lab values mutually enriching mentoring with a focus on career development. The assistant will primarily perform basic wet-bench biochemical experiments on various platforms, including hydrogels, 3D cell cultures, organoids, and tissues. The assistant will prepare and maintain experimental protocols and perform general laboratory maintenance.

This position would be an ideal transition step for a college graduate interested in further pursuing their advanced medical or graduate degrees. The lab will provide hands-on training directly with the Principal Investigator and the experts in their respective fields. The assistant will also have opportunities to contribute to research publications.

Preferred Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, chemistry, polymer science, neuroscience, biology, medicine, or related fields.
• Knowledge and skills in basic biochemical approaches, including electrophoresis, ELISA, western blot, and immunohistochemistry.
• Hands-on experience in animal handling, tissue processing, histology, polymerization, or nanoparticle synthesis.
• Commitment for a period of two years or longer.

Full-time and part-time positions are available immediately and fully funded with benefits. Interested candidates are to contact Dr. Ren () with a curriculum vitae and a cover letter describing research interests and experience.

Jian Ren, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Gordon Center for Medical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School