Research Engineering​/Scientist Associate III

Position: Research Engineering/ Scientist Associate III

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Research Engineering/Scientist Associate IIIApply locations AUSTIN, TX time type Full time posted on Posted 30+ Days Ago job requisition

Job Posting

Title:

Research Engineering/Scientist Associate III

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Hiring Department:

Department of Neuroscience

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest

Start Date:

Jul 01, 2025

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Jun 30, 2027

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Location:

AUSTIN, TX

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Job Details:

General Notes

Initial assignment will be for two years. Subsequent renewal of employment will be based upon performance review, progress towards research goals, and continuation of funding. Some weekend work required.

Purpose

Incumbent will complete brain slice electrophysiology experiments and mouse behavioral experiments in support of funded grants in the Dobbs Lab.

Other secondary duties are related to general laboratory management functions.

Responsibilities

• Brain slice electrophysiology:

  • Prepping solutions for recordings, making live brain slices and performing voltage and current clamp recordings in neurons.

  • Using optogenetics, chemo genetics, electrical stimulation, and application of pharmacologic compounds to acute brain slices during electrophysiology experiments.

  • Maintaining the electrophysiology rig, keeping accurate records of experiments, performing data analysis, and creating figures for publications and grants.

  • Training other laboratory members to prepare brain slices and perform brain slice electrophysiology.

• Mouse Behavioral experiments:

  • Includes assays to measure drug reward and self-administration as well as locomotor assays. General behavioral characterization of novel transgenic mouse lines.

  • Administration of test compounds to mice (intra-peritoneal, sub-cutaneous, intra-venous).

• Surgeries in mouse:

  • Stereotaxic delivery of AAVs encoding fluorescent tracers, DREADDs or opsins to be used in later electrophysiology or behavior experiments.

  • Stereotaxic implantation of cannula or fiber optics for later behavioral experiments.

  • Post-operative monitoring of mice.

• Lab management duties:

  • Ordering laboratory supplies and maintaining laboratory inventory

  • Assist in onboarding, orienting, and training new personnel

  • Assist in maintaining IACUC and IBC approvals.

• Marginal/Incidental functions:
  Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in biology, neurosciences, life sciences or related field and two years of related experience, or a Bachelor’s degree with four years of related experience.

• Proficiency with pClamp software in collecting and analyzing electrophysiological data. Proficiency with independently performing voltage clamp and current clamp electrophysiology experiments in acute brain slices.

• Experience with mouse handling and familiarity with behavioral experiments in mice is required.

• Proficiency with MS Office Suite, especially Excel.

• Familiarity with basic statistical analysis (ANOVA, t-tests, correlation).

• Must have excellent organizational and time management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional experience with biological “wet-lab” work experience is preferred.

• Experience in animal husbandry, PCR and qPCR.

• Experience using Graph Pad Prism for data analysis is a plus, but not necessary.

Salary Range

$42,228+ depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around chemical fumes.

• May work around standard office conditions.

• May work around biohazards.

• May work around chemicals.

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important
for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files.

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