Position Summary
The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is seeking a temporary, part-time Pathology Cardiac Specimen Repository Coordinator to support the organization, cataloging, preservation, and database management of AMC’s Cardiac Biobank. The Cardiac Biobank contains a rare and valuable repository of formalin-fixed cardiac specimens collected through AMC autopsies, including feline, canine, and other animal species. These specimens are an important resource for clinical research, comparative medicine, teaching, and future collaboration with cardiologists, pathologists, researchers, and academic partners.
This role requires experience safely handling formaldehyde/formalin-fixed specimens, organizing preserved tissue samples, and accurately maintaining specimen records in the Pathology Department’s specialized database. The coordinator will work closely with Dr. Fox, Dr. Donovan, and others involved in cardiac research to ensure that specimens are identifiable, traceable, properly stored, and available for future research and teaching use.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The Pathology Cardiac Specimen Repository Coordinator will:
- Organize formalin-fixed cardiac specimens stored in jars, containers, or heat-sealed envelopes and sort them by species, case type, disease category, and other relevant research or pathology criteria.
- Safely handle formaldehyde/formalin-fixed specimens in accordance with AMC safety protocols, laboratory practices, and applicable chemical handling and storage requirements.
- Review and reconcile specimen information from existing labels, containers, pathology records, and database entries to improve accuracy and completeness of the Cardiac Biobank inventory.
- Enter, update, and maintain specimen data in the Pathology Department’s database, including FileMaker Pro or other designated computer systems.
- Add or update key specimen information where available, including case number, species, age, breed, sex, diagnosis, disease category, storage location, and other relevant identifiers.
- Develop and maintain organizational tracking information, including shelf, cabinet, container location, and other storage details to ensure specimens can be easily retrieved for teaching, research, or review.
- Generate updated specimen labels to replace older, incomplete, damaged, or inconsistent labeling, ensuring that specimens are clearly and accurately identified.
- Segregate and identify specimens by species and/or category using clear markers, labels, or other organizational systems to improve visibility and accessibility.
- Assist with container downsizing where appropriate by transferring specimens to the smallest usable and safe plastic jar or container to improve space utilization and storage efficiency.
- Identify specimens that may no longer be useful for teaching or research purposes and coordinate appropriate disposal in accordance with AMC safety protocols and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Maintain accurate records of discarded, relocated, relabeled, or reorganized specimens to preserve the integrity of the Cardiac Biobank inventory.
- Support future research access by ensuring that the biobank is organized, searchable, and usable for cardiologists, pathologists, researchers, and collaborators.
Required Qualifications
- Prior experience working in a pathology, laboratory, research, or related clinical environment.
- Demonstrated experience safely handling formaldehyde, formalin, or formalin-fixed tissue specimens.
- Familiarity with laboratory safety practices, chemical storage, specimen handling, and disposal protocols.
- Experience entering, maintaining, and organizing data in a specialized database or research inventory system.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to accurately reconcile physical specimens with digital records.
- Ability to work independently with minimal start-up training.
- Strong organizational skills and comfort working with legacy records, inconsistent labeling, and complex specimen inventories.
- Ability to handle preserved biological specimens with care, accuracy, and respect for their research and teaching value.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in a veterinary pathology department or animal medical center environment.
- Familiarity with FileMaker Pro or similar relational database systems.
- Experience creating or maintaining relational databases that connect specimens, diagnoses, species, disease types, normal controls, cardiac conditions, cancer-related findings, and inflammatory conditions.
- Knowledge of cardiac pathology, autopsy specimens, or veterinary research collections.
- Prior experience organizing biobanks, specimen repositories, research archives, or teaching collections.
Physical and Environmental Requirements
- Ability to work in a laboratory/pathology environment with preserved biological specimens.
- Ability to safely handle containers with formalin-fixed specimens using appropriate personal protective equipment and safety protocols.
- Ability to lift, move, sort, relabel, and organize specimen containers of varying sizes.
- Must be comfortable working with biological specimens collected through autopsy.
- Must comply with all AMC laboratory safety, chemical handling, storage, and disposal procedures.
Key Competencies
- Laboratory safety awareness
- Accuracy and attention to detail
- Database fluency
- Specimen organization and inventory management
- Independent judgment
- Research support orientation
- Confidentiality and record integrity
- Ability to work with specialized and historically significant pathology materials
Pay Range
$18—$23 USDExcellence in veterinary medicine since 1910. AMC Offers:
A Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Founded in 1910, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital, offering compassionate, collaborative, and cutting-edge veterinary care. Our commitment to innovation has led to the creation of one of the most advanced veterinary facilities in the world.
State-of-the-Art Facilities: AMC just completed a major expansion and renovation. This project transformed the hospital’s entire 83,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art facility unlike any other.
Highlights include: A brand-new full floor surgical center, 1.5 Tesla Philips MRI (the exclusive high field MRI for small animals in NYC), 64-slice spiral CT scanner, Electroencephalography (EEG), Elekta Versa HD Linear Accelerator, In-house Laboratory, Ultrasound, Echocardiogram, and Mobile Cone Beam CT
A multidisciplinary team of 140+ veterinarians across 20+ specialties: With over 20 specialties and services under one roof, our departments frequently work together to deliver the highest quality of patient care in the veterinary field. Our dynamic array of specialists means that we are the go-to place for complex cases.
A Hospital in the heart of NYC: AMC is located in Manhattan, surrounded by leading research and teaching institutions such as Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical School, and NYU. Collaborative research opportunities abound, and our strong focus on education ensures a rewarding career for those passionate about mentoring and advancing veterinary medicine.
