Senior Scientist, Neuroscience & Electrophysiology; Part-Time

Lead the neuroscience behind a new NIH-funded platform for long-term MEA recording and stimulation of living neurons. Part-time (20%), Chicago.

Department:
Research & Development - 37degrees

Location:

Chicago Type:
Part-time

37degrees, Inc. specializes in innovative products tailored to the needs of life science, pharmaceutical, and fundamental research applications. Our products are designed for portability, scalability, and novel use cases, empowering scientists to achieve their goals with cutting-edge solutions. By collaborating with researchers, we leverage advanced technology to create tools that facilitate groundbreaking experiments and push the boundaries of biological knowledge. We are committed to learning and evolving alongside our scientific community, continually offering new advancements in life science technology.

37degrees is looking for a Senior Scientist in neuroscience to lead the biology behind a new, NIH-funded platform for long-term culture, recording and stimulation of living neurons. The platform is engineered at our Chicago R&D facility, and the neurobiology is carried out together with a world-leading neuroscience institute.

You will be an expert in electrophysiology, neuropharmacology and microelectrode array (MEA) recordings. You will set the scientific direction for the work and make sure the program hits its milestones. You will design and run experiments with primary rodent neurons, human iPSC-derived neurons and, over time, 3D models such as brain organoids.

This is a part-time role, starting at 20% effort, with room to grow as the program moves into its next phase. You will work directly with the Founder & CEO and with every part of the company: R&D and engineering, commercial and marketing.

A postdoctoral fellow or research scientist at a leading neuroscience institute who wants to shape a new tool for the field, without leaving their research career. You have a strong publication record and want hands-on experience of how a product is built, validated and brought to scientists, working with the founding team of a fast-moving life science company.

Scientific direction. Set the scientific direction for the program, and propose new applications, models and experiments that extend it.

Experimental design. Design and run long-term MEA studies that record and compare network activity, firing and bursting over weeks to months.

Electrophysiology and pharmacology. Lead studies combining electrical, optogenetic and pharmacological stimulation, including closed-loop experiments and compound response assays.

Neuronal models. Guide culture work with primary rodent cortical and hippocampal neurons, human iPSC-derived neurons, and 3D organoids or slices.

Data analysis. Own the analysis approach: spike sorting, burst and network metrics, statistics, and pairing electrophysiology with calcium imaging.

Program delivery. Keep the work on track against its milestones, and help prepare progress reports and future grant applications.

Collaboration. Work closely with our academic research partner and with our engineering team, turning biological needs into product requirements.

Commercial and marketing support. Help shape application notes, publications, conference presentations and conversations with scientific customers.

Required

PhD in neuroscience, neurophysiology, pharmacology, bioengineering or a related field

Postdoctoral or research-staff experience at a leading neuroscience institute or university

Deep hands-on expertise in in-vitro electrophysiology, with MEA recordings (multi-well or high-density) as a core skill

Strong background in…