Research Associate , QBInstitute

Staff Research Associate 3 (9611C), QB3 Institute #89409

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences at UC Berkeley (QB3-Berkeley) harnesses the quantitative sciences of physics and engineering to unify our understanding of biological systems at all levels of complexity, from atoms and molecules to cells, tissues, and entire living organisms. QB3-Berkeley scientists make discoveries that drive the development of technologies, products, and wholly new industries, ensuring that California remains competitive in the 21st century.

The Staff Research Associate 3 serves under the direction of Professor David Schaffer, Director of QB3 and Bakar Labs. This position is responsible for overseeing all animal work in the lab, including the design of animal experiments and the creation of original plans for each phase of animal projects. The Staff Research Associate 3 conducts highly technical and physically precise animal surgeries, orders and maintains animal colonies, interprets data yielded by animal studies, and prepares complete written reports on all phases of laboratory animal studies.

The First Review Date for this job is October 28, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Animal Study Management and Planning - 20%

• This position will help ensure that the Schaffer Lab is run efficiently through diligent oversight of all animal studies in the lab.
• Additionally, proper animal management will include following Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) guidelines, regulations, protocols, and policies that are imperative to safely operating a scientific research facility.
• They will initiate and be proactive in anticipating future problems, identifying current challenges and developing and implementing creative and innovative solutions, with follow-up to ensure the continued success of such solutions.

Animal Surgery - 15%

• The candidate will be responsible for conducting experiments involving intraparenchymal injections of adeno associated viral preparations to conduct selection and validation experiments of candidate cell type specific AAV vectors.
• These are extremely precise procedures that require experienced and masterful technique.

Animal Maintenance - 15%

• This position will order all animals, determining what genetic strain, sex, and age are required for each experiment.
• They will be responsible for ensuring that animals are ready for experiments by monitoring their weight, health, and other vitals.

Animal Study Pre/Post-op Care - 20%

• This position will be responsible for all pre- and post-operation care for surgical procedures, including checking on all animal's weight, vitals, and health and determining if any additional care is required.

Communication and Analysis - 10%

• Timely, well-messaged, and routine communication is crucial to maximizing work efficiency and organizational cohesiveness, as well as developing an awareness and support of activities associated with the Schaffer Lab.
• This position will be able to inform all parties of the current animal experiments that are being conducted and what will need to be conducted in the future, and has the experience to provide guidance for other lab members.
• The candidate will be additionally responsible for maintaining general laboratory protocols, including a detailed experimental notebook of procedures and outcomes.
• The candidate will maintain regular communication with team members and key collaborators and report on experimental plans, timelines, and results.

Technical Research - 10%

• This position will also synthesize…