Research Professional - Department of Neuroscience

Location:

Twin Cities

Contract type:
Full-Time

Position Type:
Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

The Midavaine Laboratory investigates how sex hormones, reproductive states, and immune signals reshape the nervous system to regulate pain, sensory function, and reproductive physiology. We work at the intersection of neuroscience, endocrinology, immunology, and reproductive biology to understand why pain and sensory processing differ between females and males, how physiological states such as pregnancy remodel neural circuits, and how maternal experiences shape sensory function across generations.

A central theme of the lab is hormone-dependent plasticity of sensory neurons. Our recent work established that meningeal regulatory T cells inhibit nociception in female mice through an enkephalin--opioid receptor pathway that depends on ovarian hormones (Midavaine et al., Science 388:96-104, 2025). We are now investigating how hormonal transitions across the lifespan, from development through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, reprogram this neuroimmune circuit, sensory neurons, spinal glia, and brain circuits.

The lab combines mouse genetics, neuroendocrine manipulation, immunology, single-cell and spatial genomics, in vivo calcium imaging, whole-organ imaging, molecular pharmacology, and behavioral neuroscience.

The Midavaine Laboratory seeks an experienced Research Professional 4 (Senior Research Scientist / Lab Manager) to lead in vivo mouse studies, run laboratory operations and regulatory compliance, and train lab personnel in a newly expanding neuroimmunology and neuroendocrinology program.

This is a senior technical role for a scientist with extensive independent experience in mouse models, surgical and endocrine manipulations, tissue and molecular analyses, and lab management. The Research Professional 4 will independently design and execute experiments with the PI, develop and maintain animal protocols, oversee colony and breeding strategy, and serve as the lab's operational lead. The position includes contributing to manuscripts and grant progress reports, and training in the lab's newer methods (sensory behavior, single-cell genomics, in vivo imaging).

Potential start date:
January 2027.

Experimental design and execution - 35%

• Independently plan and perform in vivo mouse studies, including survival surgeries, endocrine manipulations (e.g., gonadectomy and hormone replacement), timed pregnancies, drug and treatment studies, and tissue and organ collection.
• Perform and optimize molecular, cellular, and histological methods, including PCR/qPCR, genotyping, tissue processing and sectioning, immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence, microscopy, cell culture, and flow cytometry-ready tissue preparation.
• Adapt and troubleshoot protocols for new models and assays; establish new techniques in the lab in collaboration with the PI and core facilities.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and quality-check data; prepare figures and methods text for manuscripts, presentations, and grant progress reports.

Animal protocols, colony management, and compliance - 25%

• Write, submit, and maintain IACUC protocols and amendments; prepare the lab for IACUC, surgical site, and EHS inspections.
• Manage the mouse colony, including complex multi-allele breeding strategies, genotyping pipelines, and colony records.
• Maintain biosafety and chemical safety documentation and training records for all lab personnel.

Laboratory operations - 25%

• Serve as lab manager: ordering and inventory, budget tracking for supplies, equipment maintenance and certification (biosafety cabinets, fume hoods, freezers, LN2 storage), and vendor and service coordination.
• Coordinate with core facilities and Research Animal Resources on equipment, barrier housing, and shared resources.

Training and mentoring - 15%

• Train and oversee technicians, graduate students, rotation students, and undergraduates in laboratory, animal, and safety procedures, and ensure consistent use of lab protocols.
• Present at lab meetings and journal clubs; contribute to a collaborative and rigorous lab environment.

All required qualifications must be included in the application materials

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, neuroscience, biochemistry, physiology, or a related field, plus at least five years of relevant research experience; or a combination of education and relevant work experience equaling at least nine years.
• At…