Posting Number: S05955P

Department: Neuroscience

Salary Range: $36,764 - $40,000 / DOQ

Pay Basis: Monthly

Position Status: Regular full-time

Location: Richardson

Job Description:

We are seeking to fill the position of Research Assistant I and II in the Department of Neuroscience at The University of Texas at Dallas under the supervision of Dr. Puja Parekh. Our lab is interested in understanding the neural circuit mechanisms supporting cognitive functions and motivated behaviors and how they are affected by chronic stress and pharmacological and behavioral interventions. We use a wide range of in vivo techniques in mice to explore these questions including viral-mediated gene transfer, calcium imaging, optogenetics and behavioral assessments, as well as single-cell transcriptomic.

This position will provide technical assistance in support of various research projects and conduct research activities according to research protocol. Research activities may include some or all of the following: patient recruiting and screening, traditional laboratory experiments & activities, informatics, and/or animal laboratory work.

This position has been funded for 12 months with the possibility of extending it to 24 months.

Minimum Qualifications:

Research Assistant I:

Bachelor’s degree in one of the basic sciences or an equivalent combination of education and experience in customer service or in daily interactions in a public services environment.

Research Assistant II:

Bachelor’s degree; three years related experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

Preferred Education and Experience

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a major or minor (or relevant coursework) in Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Cognitive Science, Biological Psychology or a related field and some hands-on laboratory-based research experience in these areas.

• Experience with mouse handling or husbandry and familiarity with behavioral assays and common techniques such as administration of compounds via injection.

• Basic experience with MATLAB and/or Python or willingness to learn how to implement existing scripts and pipelines to analyze behavioral and neural data.

• Willingness to perform survival and terminal procedures as needed.

• Knowledge of basic statistics for data analysis and ability to think analytically.

• Exposure to techniques in mouse brain tissue processing for histological assessment or extraction of fresh brain tissue for molecular assays.

Important Message:

1) All employees serve as a representative of the University and are expected to display respect, civility, professional courtesy, consideration of others and discretion in all interactions with members of the UT Dallas community and the general public.

2) The University of Texas at Dallas is committed to providing an educational, living, and working environment that is welcoming, respectful, and inclusive of all members of the university community. UT Dallas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its services, programs, activities, employment, and education, including in admission and enrollment. EOE , including disability/veterans. The University is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request reasonable accommodation in the employment application and interview process, contact the ADA Coordinator (ADACoordinator@utdallas.edu) . For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Title IX Coordinator (TitleIXCoordinator@utdallas.edu) .