All-Optical Deep Brain Imaging & Stimulation Scientist

Astera Institute; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Neuro, part of the Astera Institute, seeks a PhD-level scientist/engineer to read, write, and perturb cognition in the primate brain at single-cell resolution. You will design implants, assist survival surgeries, and operate two-photon holographic optogenetics to causally manipulate working memory.

This all-optical program sits within a collaborative, open-science environment that values shared tooling, data, and methods, with competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience, bioengineering, physics, or related field or equivalent research experience.
• Hands-on rodent and/or primate survival surgery experience.
• Experience with in vivo two-photon imaging and holographic optogenetics.
• Proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB for neural-data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize optical implants and GRIN/microprism systems.
• Lead or assist survival surgeries and headbar installation.
• Perform two-photon imaging and holographic stimulation experiments.
• Develop population-analysis pipelines and apply dimensionality reduction.
• Contribute to publications and open data releases.

Skills

PhD-level

Two-photon imaging

Holographic optogenetics

Python

MATLAB

Stereotaxic surgery

Education

PhD

Tools

ZEMAX

CaImAn

Suite2p

Job description

Astera Neuro, part of the Astera Institute, seeks a PhD-level scientist/engineer to read, write, and perturb cognition in the primate brain at single-cell resolution. You will design implants, assist survival surgeries, and operate two-photon holographic optogenetics to causally manipulate working memory.

This all-optical program sits within a collaborative, open-science environment that values shared tooling, data, and methods, with competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.