Assistant Specialist-Toprani Lab

Position overview

Salary range:
Exempt: A reasonable range estimate for this position is $63,500 -$70,700.

Non-Exempt: A reasonable estimate for this position is $30.52-$33.99/hr.

Open date: January 28, 2026

Next review date: Thursday, Feb 12, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The Department of Neurology at the University of California, Davis, invites applications for an Assistant Specialist position under the guidance of Dr. Sheela Toprani. This role focuses on advancing research in neurophysiology with a specific emphasis on epilepsy. The Assistant Specialist is integral to our research team, providing technical expertise in the planning and execution of research projects. The role involves analyzing complex biological data to advance our understanding of neurological conditions, specifically epilepsy.

This position encourages collaboration with principal investigators to contribute to research proposals and secure funding. The Assistant Specialist will be responsible for lab data and codebase organization, management, and pipeline development. This position will also provide hands-on support in analysis for iEEG projects, which will include data pre-processing, event extraction, time-frequency analysis, event related potential analysis, phase-locking analysis and network coherence analysis.

Familiarity with various computer environments (Windows, Mac OSX), coding skills (Matlab, R, Python), and codebase repositories (Git Hub) is essential. Previous work with electrophysiological data is a plus.

The selected candidate will be expected to contribute to academic publications published in peer-reviewed journals, participate in lab meetings and attend relevant talks/meetings. The ideal candidate should possess strong communication and decision-making skills, have a strong interest in neuroscience, and must be able to work well independently and as part of a team.

• Conduct comprehensive data analysis, focusing on EEG and neuroimaging data, to investigate brain function and network dynamics in epilepsy.
• Utilize advanced statistical and computational models, applying programming skills in Python, MATLAB, and R.
• Prepare and publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals, ensuring meaningful contributions to the field.
• Disseminate research outcomes through presentations at national and international conferences, workshops, and symposia.
• Develop and maintain a codebase that highlights new analytical capabilities introduced during the research.
• Work independently, taking initiative and engaging in critical problem-solving with enthusiasm for advancing neurophysiological research.

• Participate in appropriate professional/technical societies or groups and other educational and research organizations.
• Review research proposals, journal manuscripts, and publications related to the area of expertise.

• Participate in committee activities within the department, college, campus, and other university entities, as appropriate.

This recruitment is conducted at the assistant rank. The resulting hire will be at the assistant rank, regardless of the proposed appointee's qualifications. This position is funded at 100% time and is contracted for a year. There is the possibility of a year extension depending on work performance. The selected assistant specialist will work primarily under the supervision of Dr. Sheela Toprani in the Department of Neurology.

Appointments are contingent upon funding availability. The posting will remain open to accommodate lab needs.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• A Master s degree in Neurology, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or a Bachelor s…