Research Staff Assistant in the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute

• Job Type: Support Staff - Non-Union
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Building: Jerome L. Greene Science Center
• Salary Range: $45,200 - $68,600

Position Summary

Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute brings together world-class scientists across academic disciplines conducting pioneering research to transform our understanding of how the brain works - and gives rise to mind and behavior. The Institute fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment across 50+ labs, advancing insights into human health by exploring how the brain develops, performs, endures and recovers.

At the Zuckerman Institute, we are committed to becoming a more inclusive, equitable and diverse place of scientific discovery and support a culture of respect. Promoting diversity in science will help drive the transformative science that can change the world.

Situated in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center on Columbia's Manhattanville campus, the state-of-the-art building offers an environment where the highest level of scholarly scientific research takes place on a daily basis, with the benefit of being located in the heart of New York, one of the world's most vibrant and culturally rich cities.

The laboratory of Dr. Daniel Salzman in the Department of Neuroscience has an open position for a highly motivated Research Staff Assistant to gain proficiency in a dynamic, collaborative research environment, assisting in investigating the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive and emotional processing in animal models.

This is a full-time grant funded role.

Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the PI, perform tasks that utilize rodent and/or non-human primate animal model systems.
• Perform experiments that can involve neural circuit anatomical tracing and brain histology, the performance of tasks that engage cognitive and emotional processes, the measurement of neural activity using calcium imaging and/or electrophysiology, and the perturbation of activity in targeted neural circuit elements during task performance.
• Use and possibly develop software to analyze data sets.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in neuroscience, biology, or other related area of science or engineering is required.
• The willingness and ability to learn specific techniques for performing tasks is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• The ideal candidate must possess strong organizational skills, keep excellent notes, show sound judgment, and have a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation as well as the ability to work independently within a diverse and dynamic team environment.
• Prior experience in rodent or non-human primate wet labs, rodent handling and rodent surgery is desirable but not required.
• Prior experience performing tissue histology and antibody staining is desirable but not required.
• Prior Experience with ImageJ, Matlab, R-Studio, Arduino, and Python, with programming experience in any and all of above is desirable but not required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.