Senior Research Technician

UK Dementia Research Institute; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The UK Dementia Research Institute seeks a motivated Senior Research Technician for the O'Keefe Lab, focusing on spatial memory and neurodegeneration research. Candidates should have a relevant degree, laboratory experience, and programming skills. The role offers a collaborative research environment in central London, with opportunities for professional development and a commitment to diversity and equality.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Occupational pension schemes

Excellent family-friendly policies

Training programmes for staff development

Qualifications

• Experience in running rodent behavioural assays.
• Proficient in programming and computational modeling of brain activity.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to maintenance of equipment, lab supplies, and databases.
• Run rodent behavioural experiments and analyze data.
• Assist in collecting and analyzing electrophysiological recordings.

Skills

Experimental techniques

Data analysis

Programming (C++, Python, Matlab)

Education

Undergraduate degree in neuroscience, molecular biology, engineering, physics or related field

Job description

The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC) brings together world-leading scientists to investigate how brain circuits process information to generate perception, form memories and guide behaviour. Developed through the vision and partnership of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Wellcome, and with substantial investment from these partners, the mission of the SWC is to generate experimentally testable theories of brain function. The Centre comprises 12 highly interdisciplinary experimental research groups accommodated in a new, purpose-designed building, offering an outstanding and unparalleled research environment. SWC scientists use a broad spectrum of the latest advances in molecular and cellular biology, imaging, electrophysiology and behavioural techniques and enjoy state-of-the-art research laboratories, cuttingedge scientific equipment, technologicallyadvanced prototyping and fabrication laboratories and custom in-house high-performance computing facilities.

About the role

We are looking for a motivated and organised Senior Research Technician to join the O'Keefe Lab at SWC. The lab's current research is directed toward unravelling the role of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus in spatial memory and understanding the mechanisms underlying short-term memories in the amygdala. We employ a range of technologies including tetrode and high density neuropixels electrophysiological probes, two photon imaging in conjunction with virtual reality environment, and novel maze tasks to study the spatial correlates of hippocampal and medial entorhinal cortical cells. You will contribute to the work of the O’Keefe lab, participating in all aspects of the team’s work, supporting the group’s research programme and directly contributing to research projects. The role will involve contributing to the maintenance of equipment, lab supplies and databases You will primarily work on projects looking at the role of the rodent hippocampal system in navigation and spatiotemporal memory, and how these are affected in animal models of neurodegeneration. As part of this project, you will run rodent behavioural experiments, collect and analyse behavioural data, and contribute to computational models. You will also have the opportunity to assist in collecting and analysing in vivo electrophysiological recordings. This post is funded for one year in the first instance.

About you

You will hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in neuroscience, molecular biology, engineering, physics or a related field. Experience of working in a research laboratory and running rodent behavioural assays are essential. You will have programming experience (C++, Python, Matlab) as well as experience in computational modelling of brain activity. We are looking for an excellent communicator with the ability to prioritise and integrate demands of a range of different activities and deadlines in parallel.

What we offer

The SWC offers staff an award-winning work environment in the heart of Fitzrovia with access to pleasant outdoor spaces. The Centre also offers the full range of UCL staff benefits, including a generous annual leave entitlement, occupational pension schemes, excellent family-friendly policies such as occupational shared parental pay, a work-life balance policy, and a range of financial benefits such as a season ticket loan scheme and staff discounts. SWC prides itself on offering a high quality administrative, technical and operational support function, and fully supports the professional development and progression of its staff, actively encouraging colleagues to learn new skills and broaden their experience. The SWC is supported in this aim by UCL’s Organisational Development team who run a wide range of training programmes for all staff types and grades.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. The Athena SWAN Charter recognises commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths, and medicine (STEMM) employment in academia. SWC is delighted to have received an Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2021. We stand by our commitment to positive action to improve equality and accessibility in the workplace. We will provide reasonable adjustments to enable people to work and flourish with us. SWC is proud to uphold both UCL’s Dignity at Work and Work-Life Balance policies. As Centre we commit to fostering a positive cultural climate where all staff and students can thrive and and actively support Wellbeing@UCL, UCL community, supported by our Wellbeing.

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