Research Associate

Job Description

The Mishra Lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke, VA, is seeking a highly skilled Research Associate to support AHA-funded research programs focused on heart failure, cardiac remodeling, and cardiometabolic disease and perform Small-Animal Cardiovascular Surgery.

The primary responsibility of this position is the performance of mouse cardiovascular surgeries, including transverse aortic constriction (TAC), myocardial infarction (MI), ischemia-reperfusion injury, and related surgical models of cardiovascular disease. The individual will also assist with animal colony management, post-operative monitoring, echocardiography, physiological phenotyping, tissue collection, and general laboratory operations. The successful candidate should have exceptional technical expertise in rodent cardiovascular surgery, maintain detailed records, and be committed to high standards of animal welfare and scientific rigor.

Required Qualifications

• Master's in Veterinary Sciences, Physiology, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field, or equivalent related experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in mouse cardiovascular surgery, including TAC, MI, and related cardiac injury models.
• Experience with perioperative care, animal monitoring, anesthesia, analgesia, and survival surgery techniques.
• Experience with mouse handling, colony management, tissue harvesting, and animal research protocols.
• Ability to maintain detailed surgical and experimental records.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend and stoop for long periods of time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with pressure-volume loop analysis, telemetry, or other in vivo cardiovascular measurements.
• Experience working in cardiovascular, heart failure, or translational research laboratories.
• Veterinary training or certification in laboratory animal science is highly desirable.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

55k-60k

Hours per week

40+

Review Date

7/6/26

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brittany Shelton at sheltb@vtc.vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.