research scientist

certified medical assistant

staff associate

post-doctoral fellow

associate professor

Columbia University

• Worked across all areas of cell line generation from vector construction to final clone selection to yield mammalian cell lines for the production of therapeutic protein and antibodies. Focused on implementing a novel reporter protein technology with the goal of providing higher throughput and greater reliability
• Generated antibody-expressing CHO cell lines, Worked with colleagues on bench scale bioreactor Extraction and purification of antibody using hybridoma cell lines, Antibody fragments into light chain and heavy chain using enzyme digestion technique (Fab fragments), Method qualification and validation in support of antibody production, Performed stability studies on final candidate cell lines to confirm predictable expression of antibody during manufacturing campaigns
• Protein extraction and purification, Polypeptide and Protein lyophilization, Protein lyophilization cycle development and optimization, Protein separation using HPLC and working in a group to process development of proteins and Commercial process development
• Established proficiency in molecular biology techniques including PCR, plasmid ligation and purification, E. coli expression, SDS-PAGE and Western Blot (Northern and Southern blot), Cyquant for cell proliferation assay, Cytometric bead assays, Bioplex, Electrochemiluminescent plate assays and IHC
• Formulation of non viral delivery system to target the Tumor (cancer) cells by using gene loading siRNA, shRNA (Gene knockdown) or expression of plasmid DNA in nucleus and site specifically targeting the tumor cells by coating cell specific antibody onto the nanoparticles and they release kinetics from the nanoparticles, we had a lot of successful results in vitro and in vivo.
• Basic asceptic techniques of microbiology such as media preparation, mammalian cell culture, separation of cell colonies, cell banking. Bacterial transformation and extraction and purification of DNA using maxi and midi preparation kit, cloning and genotyping.
• Experience conducting qualification/Validation protocol writing and execution in a pharma/biotech environment
• Coordinate the collection of samples, analysis and reporting according to FDA guidelines. Provide cell banking and quality control test of cell banks.
• Using different cell lines including mouse cd8+, bone marrow cells, dendritic cells, spleen cells and also human primary cd4+ and cd8+ cells. And performed various antibody staining techniques.
• Flow cytometer analysis of transfection efficiency of the plasmid DNA or siRNA or shRNA on different cell lines using non viral delivery system.
• Fluorescence microscopic analysis of GFP expressing cell lines and protein knockdown
• Both independently and collaboratively designed and executed experiments and presented regular data analysis and progress updates at group meetings and trained incoming staff in cell culture, aseptic technique, and methods related to cell line development.

I guess it depends on the department, but my job is usually really slow-paced. At times, there are bunch of tasks given that need to be completed at short period of time, but mostly there is nothing to do. This could be good.

Other than my manager, who is in the different building, I talk with pretty much no one. So this can be good too but you feel lonely and left out. Majority of the people working here are old, unless you are a medical student or an intern. 

With my job title, I could be paid more at other places, but Columbia does offer tuition benefits (FREE TUITION)... that is if you work here for more than 2 years. But the TRICK is that you have to GET INTO the program of your choice first, so there is no guarantee. That is one of the reasons I came here... but..

I think the best part about working here is that you pay so little for health insurances (insane discounts on these). Also, you work near some really smart people so it drives you to think about future goals, especially if you are not a doctor. This can also make you feel pretty bad sometimes. 

The probably the worst part, if I have to say, is the location. You will encounter many beggars on the street asking you for donations. I even bought a beggar a drink once. Washington Heights is above Harlem and near Bronx actually so you will know what I mean. 

Not many food options here either so you could get bored of food options. Healthiest option would probably be Chipotle but you can't eat Chipotle every day (or can you?)

There is a Chinese restaurant I go to almost every day. Good and cheap food overall but sometimes I feel tired after eating the food (perhaps MSG?)

I also remember HR process taking way too long. The background check took more than 2 months (how does this happen? I actually called the third party multiple times to check and it would have taken even longer if I haven’t done so).  

I feel like a lot of older people are here because of relaxed environment and really good benefits for families. They will give you tuition benefits not just for yourself but also for your children. 

Overall, I think this place is ok. I am thankful but this place could definitely be better.

I really appreciate the chance to be able to study and work at Columbia Chemistry department with outstanding professors and talented students. The highly interactive environment in our department brought up many new ideas to my research. Most of my PhD work is done here, including the very exciting perovskite solar cell projects. I especially thank the post-doc of our group who worked with me to initiate this project. I also got help from two other postdocs of our group and one out of our group. I learned that in scientific research, team work and collaboration is very important, especially for very challenging projects. You will never know who will help you in your success. Talking with people, discussing what you get and asking for suggestions can accelerate your progress a lot. 

The hardest part of the project is at the end. We needed to repeat some experiments but had no fresh samples. The previous sample preparation set-up was removed. Even my professor was thinking about giving up trying new samples and using the old one which was probably still 'alive'. But I insisted to try to make some new samples to make sure our data are reliable. I worked very hard with my co-workers for two weeks and finally prepared some new samples and got the results we need. This is actually the most enjoyable part of this project. You know what you need to support your idea and work hard with co-workers and finally you got it, as you expected! As for graduate study and research, I think the most attractive and enjoyable part is the problem-solving process. You ask why and think about how to know the 'why', design experiment procedure and do experiments to solve your questions. Of course, during this process you will encounter lots of accessions which is not as you expected. Through discussing with the professor and co-workers, you have to figure out your own way to solve these problems and finally get the answer. These struggling days and nights are actually the most treasurable moments in my graduate studies.

My supervisor was amazing. I was a temporary staff employee at the Student Service Center for about six months. During those six months, the Associate Director made sure to walk me through the procedures and was always willing to answer my questions, even if I asked them before. His staff was also extremely helpful. I was there to assist them during their high-traffic season. Each Student Service Rep made sure to help me understand everything. Whatever fears I had walking into the department were quickly subsided by there friendliness and intelligence.

Moreover, the excellent customer service did not end with that department. I often traveled between different departments to better understand the information I was supposed to share with students, but were not policies instituted by SSC. There student financial service department (cannot remember the exact title) was filled with easy going personalities and only lightly sprinkled with the "don't mess with me" attitudes.

The hardest parts of the job included learning a lot of information in a short period of time, and attending to the very large lines that came in spurts. The department was forgiving toward my mistakes (as a learning curve was needed). Originally, the job was supposed to last 4-6 wks. Therefore, I am sure I was of use to an already spectacular staff.

The most enjoyable part of the job included....eating? Just kidding. I enjoyed the social interactions and the personal relationships I created. Each person had/has an amazing personality. I only wish I could have stayed longer.

Anyone interested in working in cancer research should definitely utilize CPDM to get your foot in the door. There's a lot of exciting research going on across all departments (breast, thoracic, heme, neuro, etc) and it's cool to be a part of it. The work is a bit tedious and really doesn't require much skill to do, but much of research is that way. You'll love the people (other coordinators) you work with, everyone is young and passionate about what they do, but management isn't always the best. Fairly, they are always very busy keeping things running smoothly which is hard when they each manage dozens of studies and people. Some of the clinical staff too can be a bit overbearing, but cancer research is a rigorous feat, so that should be expected. You won't get paid much at all and your raises will be the same as everyone else's regardless of how well you are doing, but you'll get a lot of vacation and great health benefits, which is unheard of for young 20-somethings in NYC. 
I would recommend this job to anyone coming out of college or grad school and are unsure of what they want their first step to be. They're almost always hiring since our department is expanding so much (due to opening more studies, which is exciting). If you work here for 2 years, they'll also help pay for you to go to one of their graduate programs (MHA, MS, MPH, etc), but many usually end up going off to medical school or a CRO/start-up after about a year or two. If you stay longer than that, expect to be promoted to a SR role, and after 4 years, a manager role. Regardless, having this place on your resume is impressive and will give you tons of exposure, connections and opportunity to prepare you for your next big step

The compensation and benefits are on the better end of the spectrum (by better I mean actually meeting industry standards). The amount of stress you must face on a daily basis due the incompetence of the managerial and human reasource staff is second to none. If you have a moral compass and an excellent work ethic, don’t expect to be employed with Columbia for long. Those who stand above the rest with an exceptional work ethic, skills, and a genuine will to progress towards goals will be targeted. The existing long term staff will feel threatened by you (as they do the minimum needed to keep their job) and will do anything in their power to falsify reports and create false claims against you. With verifiable proofs to disprove all claims against you, you are still highly likely to be terminated in order to make the supervisory staff look as if they had full justification in doing so. Thus perpetuating a corrupt system for many years to come. It’s a cut-throat one hand washes the other hand type of environment between the long term staff, as they are always looking for ways to spin a situation in their favor while using speculation instead of factual evidence. The employment oppurtunity at any Columbia University site is similar and has an extremely high turn over rate and should only be considered to boost your resume experience as a platform to reach better more stable employment, don’t expect to make a career with them unless you are without a moral compass and don’t mind ruining the livelihood of other employees to secure your seat on that roller coaster.

If you're considering working here, I highly recommend reading all the reviews before making a decision. While some of the positive reviews are from students, the experience for full-time employees can be very different. In the area that I worked in, it was a very bureaucratic environment with contradicting instructions from upper management that made it difficult to get anything done. The workload was overwhelming, and I felt like I was constantly trying to prove my worth. We were understaffed, which made it feel like I was doing the job of two or more people.

The pay was decent, but not competitive compared to other companies in the industry. Although there were training modules available, they were not as effective as working directly with someone. There was no proper onboarding process and it took months to gain access to basic resources. It would have been more beneficial if there was a clear person to train and to guide new employees on their first day.

Unfortunately, the workplace culture was also not ideal. There was a lot of talking behind each other's backs and it was never straightforward. It is important to be cautious about who to share information with (and this applies to any job). It was clear that this was a job, not a place to make friends, as the company was not there to support or encourage employee growth. Promotions were few and far between, and the benefits were average despite what was promised.

Overall this may be a good fit for some but it was not the best fit for me. I would suggest that potential employees carefully consider their options before accepting a position.

•	Installation, maintenance, update and support of all applications, systems and communications software(Apple mail, Outlook, OS X Mountain Lion, Snow Leopard, window 8.
•	Assist users in a service desk setting by troubleshooting and resolving issues
Respond to requests and problems including installing, monitoring, diagnosing, repairing, maintaining and upgrading all PC/Thin Client/MAC hardware, software and equipment to ensure optimal workstation performance
•	Interact with application software and operating systems to diagnose and resolve unique, non-recurring problems
•	Assist with the installation, configuration, and ongoing usability of desktop, laptops, Macs, peripheral equipment and software within established standards and guidelines
Troubleshoot trouble tickets to resolve basic technical problems with desktop computing equipment
•	Provide customer assistance using Active Directory services and remote access tools
•	Ensure systems are configured according to college policy and protected from viruses
•	Planning, scheduling and implementing network hardware and software maintenance requirements and upgrades
•	Troubleshoot network, systems and applications identifying and correcting malfunctions and other operational issues
•	SCCM 2012 – application lifecycle management
•	Assist with development and enhancement of relevant standards, procedures and guidelines
•	Setting up the communication infrastructure to provide effective, efficient interaction with a prescribed user area.

The opportunity to work with at risk populations as a deeply passionate social worker is always full of challenges and successes. You are often faced with the vicarious challenges of hope and dreams you have for clients coupled with the work life/balances of countertransference. Working with a research initiative to reduce rates of HIV/AIDS infections among stimulant using MSM of color works inside of multilayered obstacles. Working with MSM couples of color daily navigating the challenges of everyday relationship dynamics in the context of stigma, homophobia, racism and other social challenges, my work was cut out for me.  A typical day would consist of meeting with participants for 1 or 2 of a total of 5 session in which I would facilitate discussions and activities base on a behavioral/communication skill building curriculum that was universal for all the couples in the research project. The hope was to see notable significant improvements in high risk behavior and stimulant use after the administration of the sessions. No matter how many session my couples committed to. Being able to connect with the community on this level was invaluable. The information, stories and life experience provided through this opportunity was surely enriching for our participants as it provided a platform to speak about very real community impacting concerns.

An ever-stimulating workplace where I found tremendous fulfillment in not only helping students to shape and improve their academic papers, but also personal essays for law, medical and divinity schools. 

My hours were different each day, as I was also working in the same capacity at Yeshiva University and Grace Church School (also in New York City). I learned patience and the necessary art of close listening, as many of my students were international. This close listening  enabled me to form the right questions about their rhetorical goals, and thus ensure that their meaning was effectively communicated. 

The workplace culture at Columbia consisted of the nicest and most intelligent people I have ever known. As the school itself is a pressure cooker, the Writing Center was a place to not only improve writing and understand assignments, but also served as an oasis to mitigate the stress, anxiety and competitiveness the students were under.

The hardest part of the job was working with students in the sciences. Being a humanities person myself, I had to formulate strategies to understand the necessary language which conformed to their disciplines. 

The most enjoyable part of the job was being part of a wonderful, supportive community; of making a difference in students' lives and  learning so much myself.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research scientist 24 salaries reported	$86,249 per year
Certified medical assistant 21 salaries reported	$27.09 per hour
Staff associate 25 salaries reported	$70,951 per year
Post-doctoral fellow 12 salaries reported	$77,814 per year
Associate professor 36 salaries reported	$250,777 per year

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