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Overview

The mission of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (HNRCA) is to promote healthy aging through nutrition science to empower people seeking to enjoy long, active, and independent lives. HNRCA investigators conduct the world's most advanced studies on nutrition and aging. HNRCA scientists examine how nutrition and physical activity play a major role in the prevention of the major chronic degenerative conditions and diseases associated with aging.

The Comparative Biology Unit (CBU) is a 25,000-square foot, AAALAC-accredited animal core facility that provides quality animal care and husbandry services required to perform humane, responsible, and scientifically reproducible animal experiments. The program complies with the Animal Welfare Act, the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and all other animal regulations and welfare guidelines. The unit maintains secure, species-specific, environmentally controlled animal rooms; fully equipped BSL2, quarantine, surgery, and necropsy suites; and a specialized animal diet kitchen for the preparation of custom experimental diets. It also offers a wide range of technical support including: specialized breeding; diet preparation; restricted, weighed, and paired feeding of standard, semi-purified, and liquid diets; monitoring and analysis of body weights, food intakes, and health status; body composition analysis; tissue and biological fluid sample collection; anesthesia support; necropsy support; and cognitive and behavioral testing. These resources are available to HNRCA investigators who utilize animal models to further their understanding of nutrient metabolism to better understand how diet, in combination with genetic and environmental factors, promotes health over the life span.

What You'll Do

The Manager of the Comparative Biology Unit (CBU) leads and manages the operations of the animal care program at the HNRCA. Working closely with the CBU’s attending veterinarian and multiple labs and departments at the HNRCA, responsible for the management of husbandry, fiscal, regulatory, and physical plant operations of the animal research facility at the HNRCA and ensures that the core unit’s facilities and operations are maintained at the highest level. Works with HNRCA investigators on the planning, design, and execution of mission-related animal studies and manages a team of lab animal technicians in research animal husbandry.

• Responsible for the management of the operations of the CBU, including both animal handling and managerial activities; manages the core unit’s annual operating budget and ensures timely, accurate cost-recovery for work related to sponsored projects; handles planning for space and other resource needs; participates in the acquisition of major equipment and supplies; and hires, manages, and trains full-time and part-time technical staff
• Collaborating with the attending veterinarian, coordinates all routine and emergency animal care, including situations involving animal injury or disease; ensures all CBU users are trained and possess necessary skills and certifications for proposed activities; teaches, observes, and monitors investigators and technicians conducting experimental and surgical procedures; coordinates and oversees breeding and genotyping of various lines of recombinant mice
• Ensures the animal care program’s compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations, guidelines, and related humane and ethical standards; represents the HNRCA to inspectors, reviewers, and agencies (e.g., AAALAC, OLAW, USDA-APHIS, DEA, Commonwealth of Massachusetts); manages on-site reviews and visits; prepares program reports and descriptions; coordinates, implements, maintains, and oversees federally mandated monitoring programs, including: an occupational health program; radionuclide, carcinogen, and biohazardous agent safety programs; veterinary diagnostic, therapeutic, and surveillance programs; and investigator/user, animal technician, and research technician training programs; serves as a member of the Tufts IACUC, pre-reviews submissions to the IACUC, and monitors approved research protocols
• Partner with the HNRCA investigators in the planning, design, and execution of animal studies, providing expertise in animal model selection, research study design, specialized diet formulation, selection and training of animal-related research techniques, and assurance of the appropriate use of all animals in all research activities
• Participates in other center efforts and activities as appropriate

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and experience as typically acquired through completion of a bachelor’s degree in animal care, veterinary technology, biology, biomedical science, nutrition, or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience
• Six years’ experience in laboratory animal medicine in a variety of roles, including 2-3 years’ experience as lead technologist and/or supervisory/managerial experience in a lab animal facility; participation in IACUC review and post-approval compliance; AALAS Lab Animal Technologist (LATG) certification
• Knowledge of rodent animal models, husbandry, animal breeding/genetics/recombinant animal technologies, and clinical/diagnostic fundamentals
• Familiarity and direct experience with basic animal care and technical procedures (e.g. injections, gavage, blood withdrawal, experimental feeding regimens, surgical/necropsy techniques, body composition analysis, etc.) and with BSL1 & 2 biological and chemical hazardous/carcinogenic/teratogenic agents; eligibility for DEA and Massachusetts Department of Public Health registrations for the use of controlled substances in scientific research
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to humane animal care and research use, include the NIH’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate with principal investigators and other colleagues; ability to think creatively and to anticipate and address potential problems

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three or more years supervisory/managerial experience in a lab animal facility

• Certification or qualification for examination for AALAS Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR)

• Experience with lab animal management software