A detailed cover letter is required for consideration when applying for this position and should be uploaded via the UM Careers website as the first page(s) of a single, electronic document of application materials that also includes your CV or resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline your skills and experience that directly relate to the duties described below.
A full-time Research Technician Associate position is open in Associate Professor Omar Ahmed's neural circuits and neuropsychiatric therapies lab at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The lab combines cutting-edge in vivo & slice electrophysiology, 2-photon imaging, optogenetic control of behavior, and computational modeling. The lab's goal is to understand the neural circuits that underline spatial navigation & memory and how these circuits go wrong in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
The Research Technician Associate will work closely with Dr. Ahmed and other lab staff to help support all of the lab's behavioral, physiological and data-driven projects. The ideal candidate will have experience with one or more of the following: whole cell recordings (intracellular ephys), confocal imaging, 2-photon imaging, python/Matlab programming, computational neuroscience modeling using Neuron or other software packages. In addition, the candidate must have exceptionally strong organizational and interpersonal skills and a desire to learn new things every day. The Research Technician will be solving new problems with a large degree of independence in a fast-moving, cutting-edge neuroscience environment, while facilitating the lab's day-to-day data operations. The Research Technician Associate will also be guided to develop their own research project while in the lab, and this position is ideal for those considering applications to graduate or medical school in the near future.
- Perform intracellular neuronal recordings to elucidate the physiological correlates of behavioral circuit function
- Manage, genotyping and maintain custom-engineered CRISPR-Cas and other colonies
- Analyze ex vivo and behavioral data, make figures and interpret results in collaboration with the PI
- Confocal imaging of brain slices and neuronal fills
- Perhaps intracranial injection surgeries to allow for optogenetic circuit mapping
- High school diploma or Associate degree
- 2 years of research experience
- Evidence of outstanding organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently
- Bachelor degree in neuroscience, biopsychology, computer science, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline
- Extensive programming and/or rodent behavioral experience
- Willingness to learn modern neuroscience methods and computational techniques
The salary range is $31,200 to $34,100. Please note that a higher salary may be offered based on equity and the selected candidate's experience.
This is a 12-month term-limited position with the possibility of renewal. The anticipated start date is January 2nd, 2026.
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