Research Technician in Behavioural Neuroscience Ref: 43961 (Fixed Term)

University of Sussex; Brighton; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Sussex is seeking a Research Technician in the School of Psychology to support a behavioural neuroscience project in mice. The role involves mouse behavioural experiments, data acquisition, confocal microscopy, spine analysis and quantitative processing, with strong emphasis on accurate record-keeping.

The fixed-term post runs from 01 October 2026 to 31 December 2026, with expectations to contribute from day one and thrive in a fast-paced lab environment under established protocols.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting mouse behavioural experiments in a research lab.
• Direct experience using Med-PCIV for behavioural control and data collection.
• Competence in confocal microscopy and image acquisition from neuronal tissue.
• Experience with dendritic spine analysis or related neuronal morphology analysis.
• Proficiency using Fiji/ImageJ for processing and analysis.
• Hold a valid Home Office Personal Licence for mouse work.
• Ability to work independently within established protocols.
• Strong lab record‑keeping and data organisation skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform mouse behavioural experiments and data collection.
• Conduct confocal microscopy and image analysis for neuronal samples.
• Analyze dendritic spines and related morphology data.
• Process microscopy images using Fiji/ImageJ and perform quantitative analyses.
• Maintain accurate lab records and comply with protocols and regulations.

Skills

Mouse behaviour

Med-PCIV

Confocal microscopy

Dendritic spine analysis

Fiji/ImageJ

Home Office licence

Lab record-keeping

Independent working

Tools

Med-PCIV

Fiji/ImageJ

Confocal microscope

Job description

About The Role

A BBSRC-funded Research Technician position is available in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex. The post will support a behavioural neuroscience project investigating neuronal mechanisms related to cue-evoked appetitive behaviour and related experimental work in mice.

The successful candidate will provide dedicated technical support to ongoing project work in the Koya laboratory. The role will involve mouse behavioural experiments, behavioural data acquisition, confocal microscopy, dendritic spine analysis, microscopy image processing and quantitative analysis, and associated laboratory record-keeping.

This is a short fixed-term replacement post, initially from 01 October 2026 to 31 December 2026.

About You

We are seeking a Research Technician with existing, project-specific expertise in behavioural neuroscience. Due to the short duration of the initial appointment, the successful candidate must be able to contribute to the project from the outset with minimal additional training. The project cannot be delivered within the initial three-month period unless the appointee already has the required technical competencies. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate the following essential criteria:

• Practical experience conducting mouse behavioural experiments in a research laboratory setting.
• Direct experience using Med-PCIV for behavioural experiment control, data acquisition, and/or behavioural task implementation.
• Competence in confocal microscopy, including image acquisition from neuronal tissue samples.
• Practical experience with dendritic spine analysis or closely related neuronal morphology analysis.
• Proficiency using Fiji/ImageJ for microscopy image processing and quantitative analysis.
• A valid Home Office Personal Licence with the relevant permissions required for the mouse behavioural and/or regulated procedures involved in the project.
• Ability to work independently, accurately, and safely within established laboratory protocols from the start of the appointment.
• Good laboratory record‑keeping, data organisation, and communication skills.
• Ability to comply with University, local laboratory, and UK legislative requirements relevant to animal research and laboratory work.
• Experience with appetitive learning, cue‑evoked seeking, behavioural neuroscience methods, transgenic mouse colony work, or the development and optimisation of behavioural neuroscience research tools would be advantageous.

About Our School

Our Psychology school has a rich history extending over half-a-century, marked from the start by our variety of research and courses. From the ground‑breaking work of scholars such as Stuart Sutherland and Marie Jahoda, we've grown to cover all areas of psychology.

The School was formally established in 2009, bringing together academics across biological, cognitive, developmental, clinical and social psychology into one School. We've now entered the second decade of our existence as one of the largest and most influential academic communities for psychology in the country!

Anchored by our core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage, our research and teaching address societal challenges to create a better world.

Please find further information regarding the School of Psychology.

The School of Psychology is proud to hold a Silver Athena Swann Award.

Why work here

Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.

Sussex is a renowned, multi‑accredited, research‑led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

Find Out More About Our Reward And Benefits Package.

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Further Key Information

Please contact Eisuke Koya ([e-mail]) for informal enquiries.

Eligibility

Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.