Research Associate - In Vivo Molecular Neurotechnology
About The Position
Merge Labs is a frontier research lab pursuing new approaches to brain-computer interfaces that connect biological and artificial intelligence. The Bio team develops molecular technologies for measuring and modulating neural activity, combining experimental neuroscience, molecular engineering, and physical methods to evaluate how these tools perform in biological systems. As a Research Associate, you will join a multidisciplinary team developing molecular biosensors and actuators for BCI technologies. You will help design and conduct experiments that connect molecular tool performance to neural activity, using microscopy, imaging, and stimulation methods. This is a hands-on role focused on careful experimental execution, technical troubleshooting, reproducible data, and translating results into improvements to the molecular neurotechnology platform. Merge Labs welcomes applicants with complementary technical strengths and does not expect candidates to have experience with every listed method. The company is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.
Requirements
- A BS, BA, MS, or higher in Neuroscience, Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
- Hands-on experience in experimental neuroscience, with a strong foundation in microscopy, functional imaging, or neural recording.
- Experience generating reproducible datasets and recognizing experimental artifacts or data-quality issues.
- Familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or comparable tools for quantitative analysis.
- Scientific curiosity and a practical approach to troubleshooting unfamiliar techniques.
- Strong organizational and documentation habits, attention to detail, and clear communication.
- Enthusiasm for working across disciplines and learning new experimental approaches.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with two-photon microscopy, calcium or voltage imaging, or optogenetic stimulation.
- Experience with rodent surgery, viral injections, cranial windows, or behavioral training.
- Familiarity with electrophysiology, experimental control hardware, or synchronized acquisition.
- Experience with histology, neural tissue preparations, electroporation, or molecular biology.
- Experience developing image-processing pipelines or modifying optical instrumentation.
Responsibilities
- Perform functional imaging experiments to characterize neural activity and evaluate molecular sensors and actuators in animal models and neural preparations.
- Set up, calibrate, and operate microscopy and stimulation systems, including optical alignment and synchronization with behavioral or electrophysiological measurements.
- Contribute to experimental workflows covering preparation, data acquisition, quality control, analysis, and documentation.
- Collaborate with scientists to refine experimental controls, assess measurement quality, and investigate unexpected results.
- Develop and use analysis tools to extract neural signals, quantify experimental outcomes, and communicate findings.
- Troubleshoot biological and technical sources of variability and help improve experimental consistency.
- Learn new methods and contribute to protocol development as the research program grows.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
