Research Support Assistant II
About The Position
The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time Research Assistant II position in our neuroscience laboratory. The role will provide research support for several projects focused on how dopamine and opioid receptor signaling regulates motivation and social behavior in rodent models relevant to depression. The candidate will help run operant and motivated-behavior assays, including reward, threat-avoidance, and social-interaction paradigms, combined with stereotaxic surgery, viral vector delivery, in vivo fiber photometry with genetically encoded biosensors, and histological/c-Fos brain mapping. The qualified candidate will work closely with division members, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral research scientists, and faculty members. The Research Assistant must be highly organized, detailed-focused, and results driven. The candidate should also possess exceptional communication skills and work effectively with a diverse group of researchers. The Research Assistant must be capable of working with minimal supervision, and capable of thoroughly documenting and communicating daily activities and experiments.
Requirements
- BS/BA or equivalent degree in neuroscience, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or related field
- At least (6) months experience of handling laboratory rodents (mice and/or rats).
- At least (6) months' experience of using standard graphing software and Microsoft Office suite.
Nice To Haves
- At least (6) months' experience in conducting rodent behavioral tests.
- At least (6) months experience with genotyping (tail or ear biopsy, DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis).
- At least (6) months experience in circuit-based analysis of behavior using, e.g., stereotaxic surgeries, viral expression of proteins of interest, behavioral analysis, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy.
- Familiarity with GraphPad Prism, MATLAB, and/or MedPC.
Responsibilities
- Manage the laboratory animal colony (mice and rats), including breeding, weaning, genotyping, drug administration, post-surgical care, and maintenance of accurate colony records.
- Conduct behavioral testing in rodents, including operant and motivated behavior, social-interaction, and threat-avoidance paradigms.
- Support the projects of senior lab members, assisting with experiments including stereotaxic surgery, viral vector delivery, fiber photometry, tissue processing, and immunohistochemistry.
- Keep detailed records and discuss progress of work regularly with project supervisors and Principal Investigator.
Benefits
- Excellent Benefits Package
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
