Associate Researcher - Neurosciences

Mount Sinai; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Mount Sinai seeks an Associate Researcher to oversee day-to-day management and coordination of laboratory mouse colonies supporting multiple projects. You will work with investigators and animal-care staff to maintain colonies, ensure availability for experiments, and uphold welfare and institutional policies.

You will manage breeding, keep detailed records, coordinate genotyping, forecast needs, and optimize colony efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science or related field preferred, or combination of relevant research experience and education.
• 0-2 years of research/laboratory experience.
• Previous experience with animal handling is desired.

Responsibilities

• Manage breeding colonies and monitor breeding performance to ensure experimental readiness.
• Maintain accurate colony records including pedigrees, genotypes, breeding history, and animal numbers.
• Coordinate genotyping: collection, submission, results tracking, and updating records.
• Forecast animal requirements with investigators to ensure availability for planned experiments.
• Monitor colony size and breeding efficiency to minimize cage usage and costs.
• Coordinate transfer of animals between breeding and experimental cohorts.
• Review colonies for breeders needing replacement and potential shortages.
• Assist with complex genetic crosses and maintenance of transgenic and knockout lines.
• Communicate colony status and timelines to laboratory staff and investigators.
• Coordinate with animal-care/veterinary staff to align with IACUC protocols and policies.
• Maintain organized records of mouse strains and assist with inventories and census reconciliation.
• Help coordinate import/export, quarantine, cryopreservation, and rederivation of mouse lines when required.
• Identify opportunities to improve colony-management workflows and establish standardized procedures.

Skills

Research experience

Animal handling

Education

Bachelor's degree in science or related field

Job description

The Associate Researcher will oversee the day-to-day management and coordination of laboratory mouse colonies supporting multiple research projects. The position will work closely with investigators, research staff, and animal-care personnel to ensure colonies are maintained efficiently, animals are available according to experimental timelines, and breeding and record-keeping practices meet institutional and animal-welfare requirements.

• Manage breeding colonies, including setting up breeding pairs/trios, monitoring breeding performance, weaning, and determining appropriate breeding strategies.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date colony records, including pedigrees, genotypes, breeding history, animal numbers, ages, sex, and experimental availability.
• Coordinate genotyping, including collection and submission of samples, tracking results, and updating colony records.
• Forecast animal requirements with investigators and research staff to ensure appropriate numbers, genotypes, ages, and sexes are available for planned experiments.
• Monitor colony size and breeding efficiency to minimize unnecessary animals, cage usage, and associated costs.
• Coordinate allocation and transfer of animals between breeding and experimental cohorts.
• Regularly review colonies to identify breeders requiring replacement, poorly performing breeding lines, excess animals, and potential shortages.
• Assist with management of complex genetic crosses and maintenance of transgenic, knockout, conditional, and Cre/Flp mouse lines.
• Communicate regularly with laboratory members regarding colony status, expected availability, breeding timelines, and potential issues.
• Coordinate with institutional animal-care/veterinary staff and ensure colony activities are consistent with approved IACUC protocols and institutional policies.
• Maintain organized records of mouse strains and relevant documentation and assist with colony inventories and census reconciliation.
• Help coordinate import, export, quarantine, cryopreservation, and rederivation of mouse lines when required.
• Identify opportunities to improve colony-management workflows and establish standardized procedures across research projects.

Performs other related duties.

• Bachelor's degree in science or related field preferred, or combination of relevant research experience and education
• 0-2 years of research/laboratory experience
• Previous experience with animal handling is desired