Garvan Institute of Medical Research brings together world leading scientists and clinicians, collaborating locally and globally, to advance our understanding of disease, particularly cancer, autoimmunity and genetic disorders. Garvan is a global leader in fundamental biomedical research and its translation. Our mission is to make discoveries that will improve health for all.
The Swarbrick lab are global leaders in the application of cellular genomics to human cancer, to find new diagnostics and treatments for society’s most challenging cancers. We are a diverse multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians with a vision to change cancer medicine. More information can be found at www.swarbricklab.com
Major projects include generation of an international, large-scale, multi-omic breast cancer atlas and understanding the cellular mediators of response to cancer immunotherapy in breast cancer and melanoma. The Laboratory is generating substantial single-cell sequencing (scRNA-Seq), spatial transcriptomics and other genomic and proteomic datasets from clinical samples and preclinical models. The RA will be actively working on the integration of these large multi-omic datasets and developing scalable, robust, cloud-based computational frameworks.
The Research Assistant provides essential technical and operational support to a research laboratory or group. The primary purpose of this role is to enable and facilitate high-quality medical research while optimising productivity through technical expertise and efficient resource management. Appointees typically hold a Bachelor’s Degree or a Master’s Degree and work with an increasing sense of direction and autonomy as they gain experience.
Research Assistants are appointed on a salary scale depending on level of experience, performance and requirements of the role required within the lab/group. For further information, refer to Garvan’s Research Assistant & Senior Research Assistant Criteria.
Salary: Up to $94,300 + 14% super + salary packaging (depending on experience)
Employment Type: 2 year fixed-term contract with possibility to extend
Depending on level of experience and requirements of the role, a Research Assistant is typically expected to:
Optimisation: Contribute to the existing codebase in collaboration with other team members, including debugging, refactoring and enhancing legacy code. Adopt, test and benchmark analytical packages for incorporation into analyses and standardised pipelines.
Data integrity: Ensure all research data is accurate, high-quality, and conforms to good scientific practice, ensuring it is accessible to other researchers as required.
Mentorship & Training: Train students, postdocs, and peers on data collection, specialised tools, and laboratory safety protocols.
4. Institute Contributions
5. Health & Safety and Risk Management
Comply with Garvan’s workplace polices (as amended from time to time) and especially Garvan’s Work Health & Safety (WHS) Policy, including working in accordance with the WHS management system at all times, as safety is Garvan’s number one priority.
Proactively identify, assess, and report operational, financial, and safety risks associated with the duties of this role. The incumbent is required to adhere to the organisation’s Risk Management Framework, ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with established policies and procedures, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by suggesting mitigation strategies for identified hazards or inefficiencies.
The key skills and experience include:
BSc or MSc in computer science or a quantitative discipline (Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, Software Engineering, or a related field)
Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.
Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.
We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.
Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.
To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.
