Research and Innovation Associate - AR3363

University of St Andrews; St Andrews; Presencial; GBP 39.000 - 45.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Hybrid working environment

Staff discount scheme

Free staff parking

Salary sacrifice and family-friendly政策

Descripción de la vacante

University of St Andrews invites applications for a Research and Innovation Associate to join the AI-enabled models for whole-brain functional connectomics project led by Maarten Zwart in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience. This fixed-term post runs for 9 months, starting 14 December 2026, with a competitive salary and benefits.

The successful candidate will hold a Neuroscience degree, bring wet-lab expertise and an interest in community engagement, and contribute to collaborative

Formación

• Degree in Neuroscience or related discipline.
• Expertise in wet-lab neuroscience.
• Experience or demonstrated interest in community engagement.

Responsabilidades

• Contribute to the AI-enabled models for whole-brain functional connectomics project.
• Collaborate with the team led by Maarten Zwart within the School of Psychology and Neuroscience.
• Assist in integrating structural, functional and causal data to model brain connectivity.

Conocimientos

Wet-lab neuroscience

Community engagement

Educación

Degree in Neuroscience or related discipline

Descripción del empleo

Start date: 14 December 2026 Full time Fixed term: 9 months Are you interested in how the brain produces behaviour? We are looking for a Research and Innovation Associate to join us on a fixed-term basis. You will work on an exciting collaborative project, 'AI-enabled models for whole-brain functional connectomics', funded by the Leverhulme Trust and led by Maarten Zwart in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews. Understanding how the brain works requires more than simply watching it in action or examining its structure under a microscope. We need to know how individual nerve cells are physically connected and how these connections give rise to behaviour and thought. Current tools can reveal either the structure of the brain or its activity, but rarely both together in a practical and scalable way. This project aims to solve this by combining different kinds of data -structural, functional, and causal- into a single AI-centred computer model. We focus on the larval zebrafish, a small transparent animal whose entire brain can be imaged while it is alive and behaving. By combining information about where neurons are located, how they fire over time, and how they respond to targeted stimulation, we will develop an approach that can infer the brain's wiring with far less cost and effort than today's gold-standard techniques. The successful applicant will have a degree in Neuroscience or a related discipline, with expertise in wet-lab neuroscience and community engagement. The post is available for 9 months starting December 14 th , 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

For further information and informal enquiries please contact Maarten Zwart at [e-mail] .

In addition to the salary on offer for this position, there are a wide range of benefits for staff working at the University of St Andrews:

• Financial contribution to relocation (subject to eligibility)
• Membership of the USS Pension Scheme with a generous employer contribution of 14.5%
• A hybrid working environment, including partial homeworking where appropriate and a range of family friendly policies, supporting work-life balance
• Staff discount scheme for local and national goods and services
• Free staff parking, employee Carshare and Cycle to Work Schemes and subsidised local bus travel
• Subsidised sports membership, reduced tuition fees on degree programmes for staff, access to training and development opportunities including LinkedIn Learning, access to library facilities, salary sacrifice scheme
• 34 Days Annual Leave plus 5 Public Holidays.

At St Andrews, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to who we are and form a core pillar of our University Strategy. We are committed to creating a fair, inclusive and supportive workplace, reflected in our participation in national diversity charters and awards, including Athena Swan, Carer Positive and the Race Equality Charter. We particularly welcome applications from people from Black, Asian, minority ethnic and minority religions backgrounds and from LGBTQ+ and disabled people.

Closing date: 13 November 2026 Interview date: w/c 23 November 2026 (TBC)

Job description: AR3363RS FPs.pdf Ref no: AR3363RS £38,784 to £44,746 pa Grade 6