Assistant Cancer Research Assistant Jobs in California

Payroll Title:
SRA 1 Department:
CANCER CENTER Hiring Pay Scale
$28.69 - $31.42 / Hour Worksite:
Moores Cancer Center Appointment Type:
Career Appointment Percent:
100% Union:
RX Contract Total Openings:
2 Work Schedule:
Days, 8-Hour Shifts, Monday-Friday
#139963 Laboratory Research Assistant - Cancer Center
Extended Deadline: Mon 8/17/2026
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UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds. If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.
This position will remain open until a successful candidate has been identified.
UCSD Layoff from Career Appointment : Apply by 06/08/2026 for consideration with preference for rehire. All layoff applicants should contact their Employment Advisor.
Reassignment Applicants : Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.
DESCRIPTION
The Moores Cancer Center is one of just 57 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States and the only one in San Diego County. As a consortium cancer center, it is a collaborative partnership between the UCSD: encompassing 14 departments (12 clinical, 2 basic sciences), 3 professional schools (School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Public Health), UCSD Health oncology hospitals and clinics; the basic and public health research and outreach of San Diego State University, and the basic and translational research of the La Jolla Institute of Immunology. These various programs and units are all dedicated to fulfilling the Moores Cancer Center's mission of reducing cancer's burden. As such, it ranks among the top centers in the nation conducting the continuum of cancer research, providing advanced patient care, and serving the community through outreach and education programs. As a top-ranking, future-oriented organization, we offer challenging career opportunities in a fast-paced and innovative environment. Moores Cancer Center follows a progressive philosophy of career-path development for its employees including opportunitiesfor cross-training, professional development, and progressive responsibility.
MCC's mission is to transform cancer care in our catchment area and beyond by driving exceptional scientific discoveries, and innovations in prevention, detection, care, and training. MCC will make a global impact on improving health by reducing cancer burden throughaccelerated discovery and translation, compassionate and interdisciplinary care, education and community engagement, with the foundation of our core values - Excellence, Innovation and Risk-Taking, Collaboration, Diversity and Service.
Working under close supervision, in a hematology/oncology research laboratory at UCSD Center for Novel Therapeutics. Assist with performing research studies and troubleshooting of new and established assay techniques. Assist with performing and analyzing in vivo and in vitro experiments to study expression of specific proteins in solid tumors and to define the role of specific proteins in promoting tumor growth, metastasis, and tumor initiation using primary cancer cells and cell lines. Assist with conducting in vivo experiments with patient-derived xenograft mouse models to assess treatment effects with novel agents. Assist with processing and banking primary human and mouse tumor samples.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Theoretical knowledge of immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, and protein chemistry.
• Ability to perform standard molecular biology techniques, including PCR, SDS Page electrophoresis, western blotting, ELISA assays, and recombinant DNA manipulation.
• Ability to culture primary tumor cells.
• Knowledge of various mice handling techniques.
• Ability to perform formulation of different therapies and conduct animal dosing (IV, PO, IP, SC), tumor implantation, blood/tissue collection from mice, tumor measurements, tumor freezing and formalin-fixing procedures.
• Knowledge and willingness to handle blood, plasma and other human specimens for processing and shipping. Must be willing and able to work with human samples, animals, biohazardous materials and radioactivity.
• Excellent organizational skills to order and maintain lab equipment and order supplies. Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to follow UCSD Safety and Hazardous Materials guidelines. Ability and willingness to work with hazardous/biohazardous materials.
• Interpersonal and oral communication skills. Demonstrated skill to effectively and clearly communicate with tact, diplomacy, discretion, and flexibility to faculty, academicians, students, and staff including those of diverse ethnicity, culture, and foreign nationals. Ability to present information clearly and concisely.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of the cancer stem cell hypothesis and markers, particularly as it pertains to ovarian, breast, and lung cancer.
• Knowledge and experience in flow cytometry and operation of a FACS Celesta instrument. Ability to assist with performing and interpreting results from experiments with human and mouse cells stained with specific fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal antibodies.
• Knowledge of various cell-based assays pertaining to investigating cancer stem cell hypothesis.
• Experience with basic clinical research protocols/clinical trials.
• Ability to read clinical protocol and interpret the time line of sample acquisitions time points. Knowledge to process samples according to specific protocols.
• Ability to culture primary tumor cells and cancer stem cells in vitro. Knowledge of cancer stem cells.
• Ability to establish patient-derived xenograft (PDX) including subcutaneous injection model and orthotopic mice model.
• Experience working with solid tumors, including breast and ovarian cancer.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality.
• Must be willing and able to work holidays, weekends and evenings when necessary.
• Must be able to handle blood samples and be trained for biohazards.

Pay Transparency Act
Annual Full Pay Range: $62,891 - $75,022 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)
Hourly Equivalent: $30.12 - $35.93
Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).
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If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.
UC San Diego Health Sciences is comprised of our School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and our Student Health and Well-Being Department. We have long been at the forefront of translational - or "bench-to-bedside" - research, transforming patient care through discovery and innovation leading to new drugs and technologies. Translational research is carried out every day in the hundreds of clinical trials of promising new therapies offered through UC San Diego Health, and in the drive of our researchers and clinician-scientists who are committed to having a significant impact on patient care. We invite you to join our team!
Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.
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The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.
For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination
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Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.
a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace