About the role
Incumbent in this position will report to Dr. Ruisheng Liu. The Student Assistant will be responsible for conducting research and/or participating in research for mechanisms for hypertension and organ injury.
Work requires practical and basic theoretical knowledge to perform these techniques and to modify them as needed, in consultation with the principal investigator or designee. Competency in standard methods of analysis of the results is expected. Provides data or figures of publication quality for manuscripts or grants.
Plans and conducts laboratory research protocols in cell and molecular biology and other related biological science disciplines under the leadership of the PI/supervisor. Must be proficient in standard laboratory techniques including PCR, mammalian tissue culture, DNA and protein electrophoresis, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy, molecular cloning. We utilize rodents as research models for human disease.
Therefore, basic experience in animal handling is required, including blood sampling, post-mortem tissue isolation and compound administration by I.P. and I.V. injection, mouse husbandry and animal microsurgeries such as vessel cannulation, renal ischemia reperfusion injury induction, radio-transmitter implantation are preferred. Maintains logs and records of experiments and observations, findings and results for use in presentations and publications. Assists other researchers in the laboratory by conducting experiments.
Contributes to research supply purchasing, financial management and general lab maintenance. Performs other duties as assigned. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship Minimum
Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in natural, physical, or medical science. Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree. Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
SB 1310: Substitution of Work
Experience for Postsecondary
Education Requirements A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed: (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree; (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree; (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree; (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment. Minimum
Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.
Preferred Qualifications Experience in organ injury and rodent surgery is desirable. *The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S.
News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities.
USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida.
USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more atwww.usf.edu* (https://www.usf.edu/index.aspx "https://www.usf.edu/index.aspx")*.*