Metabolomics Core Director / Research Group Leader

The mission of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research, and prevention and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees, and the public.

The Core Director (CD) of the Metabolomics CCSG Core will oversee all functional aspects and personnel of the facility dedicated to the state-of-the-art of mass spectrometry-based analyses of metabolites for basic and clinical cancer research. The Director will ensure that this core facility enables breakthrough research including targeted (specific metabolite detection) and untargeted (discovery-based) metabolomics, untargeted lipidomics, and stable isotope-resolved metabolomic tracing (SIRM) in common biological matrices. The CD will ensure that this core facility enables breakthrough research to all MD Anderson and external users. The CD will provide expertise on experimental design, guide suitable data analysis procedures, and collaborate with data interpretation to ensure high-quality and reliable output derived from the Core technology. In addition to technically guiding core activities, the CD will work closely with the Core’s Scientific Director to ensure that the facility continues to innovate, adopt new technologies and analytical methods, and bring on new services to enable the Institution's research mission. It is anticipated that together with the Scientific Director leadership, the Metabolomics CD will dedicate up to 20% of its activity to technology development, which is an integral part of the Core.

Key functions

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

·         Ensure that the core provides state-of-the-art metabolomics service to enable MD Anderson's research mission in a range of biological matrices.

·         Assist with identifying suitable approaches to deliver major key activities of the core including targeted & untargeted metabolomics and SIRM for a range of endogenous metabolites.

·         Responsible for the development, validation, implementation, and execution of novel metabolomics analytical methods to support, as much as technically and financially possible, the research required by MD Anderson investigators and other collaborators.

·         Monitor experimental data acquisition, quality, and timely release, troubleshooting any issues with the assay and instrument performance.

·         Work with researchers and when needed with the Scientific Director to plan and execute metabolomics studies, and trouble shoot any arising issues.

·         Stay abreast of technical advances in terms of experimental methodologies, miniaturization, automation, and hardware developments. Evaluate the merits of the technical advances and implement these innovative solutions in the Core where appropriate.

·         In coordination with the Scientific Director, seek to secure grant and foundation funding both for specific advanced research projects as well as for hardware refreshes.

·         Interact with faculty members and their laboratory personnel to devise appropriate experimental strategies for data collection and analysis.

·         Consult with faculty on data quality and suggest strategies for improved sample quality

·         Direct collaborative projects that require a high level of technical expertise or the application of new approaches.

·         Attend conferences, follow research literature, and discuss and establish new approaches with faculty.

·         Train and supervise facility staff members to maintain capabilities at the forefront of technological developments.

·         Assist with manuscript and grant preparation for collaborative research.

·         Maintain a safe, clean, and functional laboratory.

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

·         Oversee the installation, maintenance, and operation of current and future instrumentation and equipment.

·         Coordinate, direct and lead a team of successful internal metabolomics experts as well as computational and analytical scientists. Train, supervise, mentor and performance manage the team to ensure optimal function of the Metabolomics Core Facility.

·         Complete the necessary documentation for any required formal reports.

·         Work with computational and data scientists to ensure that the Core has appropriate IT solutions to support rapid data turnaround and reporting.

·         Interact closely with MD Anderson faculty and trainees to ensure good usage of the facility and publish impactful research in high quality journals.

·         Establish strong relationships with other metabolomics researchers in Texas and across the Nation, and key relationships with the various instrument manufacturers.

·         Be an integral part of the community of Core Directors at MD Anderson and seek to establish synergistic relationships with other core leaders.

·         Carefully manage the financial operation of the core; design and implement business models and cross charges from users, bearing in mind the need to provide affordable technology to the core users.

·         When required, engage in training of students, postdocs and other researchers on the technology and suitable data analysis methods.

·         Participate in choosing and purchasing equipment, and in the development of new infrastructure within the Metabolomics core facility.

·         Budget planning for service and maintenance, equipment modifications and improvements, and personnel.

·         Responsible for decisions on hiring, promotions, salary changes, performance evaluations, and terminations of focused team of scientists to aid in facility operations.

·         Responsible for presentation of the Core to site visitors.

·         Establish scheduling policies for instrument access and workflows for equipment operation and usage.

·         Maintain accurate logs of equipment usage and performance.

·         Liaise with faculty advisory and oversight committees to ensure alignment with institutional needs.

·         Ensure compliance with all research and safety regulations, protocols, and procedures to ensure the safety of all participants, researchers, and the environment.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

·         Supervise equipment usage performed by principal investigators, researchers, post-docs, and graduate students.

·         Develop and implement educational and training programs for PIs and their staff.

·         Ensure facility users employ proper safety protocols.

A collaborative attitude is essential for this position.

Ability to work well under pressure and drive projects that affect critical timelines.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED