Laboratory Research Officer - Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory

Reports to:

Andreas Schaefer. Closing Date: 13/Nov/ GMT. Working pattern:
This is a full‑time, fixed‑term (1 year) contract position on Crick terms and conditions of employment. Salary for this role:
From £31,695 with benefits, subject to skills and experience. Salary:
From £31,695 per annum with benefits, subject to skills and experience. Final date to receive applications: 13th of November 2026 at 23:59.

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world‑class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions.

We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, cutting‑edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high‑quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

This role supports research investigating how the brain processes smells and converts them into signals that drive behaviour in mice. The postholder will work under the supervision of Dr Olivia Pedroncini in the Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology group led by Prof Andreas Schaefer. The lab investigates how olfactory information is processed and represented in the brain, using a variety of techniques ranging from physiological approaches such as electrophysiology and calcium imaging to connectomics and the development of novel neurotechnologies.

This project investigates how mice use odour cues to locate rewards while foraging, with a focus on understanding which aspects of complex odour environments influence decision making and when animals rely most on smell. The role will involve conducting behavioural experiments, analysing data and applying computational modelling to better understand olfactory guided behaviour. This work will form part of a broader research programme exploring how sensory information is encoded by neural circuits and how these circuits generate adaptive behaviour.

• Conduct behavioural experiments in freely moving mice, including training animals on olfactory foraging tasks
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of behavioural data acquisition and analysis pipelines
• Maintain accurate and well‑organised experimental records
• Present research findings at internal lab meetings and seminars

• Undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, Biology, or a closely related discipline (or equivalent research experience)
• Hands‑on experience with animal research
• Prior exposure to neuroscience laboratory techniques
• Interest in systems neuroscience and/or olfactory processing
• Experience handling large datasets
• Experience with data analysis, ideally in Python
• Minimum criteria

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