Principal Staff Scientist - Biological Sciences (Karasmanis)

Job description

Position Summary: The Principal Staff Scientist is part of the Karasmanis Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and is a senior individual contributor responsible for advancing the laboratory’s research programs and supporting efficient laboratory operations. This position plays a central role in experimental design, assay development, data generation, and interpretation, while serving as a technical resource for lab members. Reporting directly to the Principal Investigator (PI), the Principal Staff Scientist works closely and regularly with the PI, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate trainees, and shared resource cores to support and advance the lab’s scientific objectives. The Principal Staff Scientist will independently design, execute, and optimize advanced molecular, cellular, biochemical, and biophysical experiments, including cryo-ET; develop and implement new experimental assays and workflows; analyze and interpret complex datasets; and contribute to troubleshooting and refinement of ongoing research projects. The role also includes training and mentoring lab members on specialized techniques, maintaining rigorous experimen...