Associate Specialist - Hasenstaub Laboratory

UCSF Health, AG; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 78,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Francisco's Hasenstaub Laboratory in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery seeks an Associate Specialist to study neural circuits in the mouse auditory system. You will perform stereotaxic surgeries, viral-vector injections, histology, imaging, and electrophysiology, under the guidance of the PI and senior staff.

Responsibilities include dataset analysis, figure preparation for presentations and publications, and maintaining accurate records.

Qualifications

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in relevant field or 5–10 years of experience.
• Experience in neuroscience, neurobiology, physiology, or related field.
• Experience with experiments in laboratory animals.
• Experience with quantitative analysis of neuroscience or biological data.
• Experience with scientific imaging and image analysis.
• Ability to follow established protocols and work under supervision.
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous record-keeping.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform stereotaxic surgery and viral-vector injections.
• Neuroanatomical tracing using AAV vectors and rabies tracing; tissue prep, histology, and immunostaining; fluorescence microscopy.
• Quantitative analysis of tracing datasets; classify neurons by brain region and cortical layer; compare inputs to auditory cortex; data quality control; prepare figures.
• Electrophysiological experiments in mouse auditory circuits; data acquisition and processing; maintain accurate records.
• Collaborate with PI and senior staff to analyze data and contribute to figures and publications.

Skills

Neuroscience

Neurobiology

Physiology

Analytical skills

Data analysis

Imaging

Electrophysiology

Laboratory skills

Record keeping

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree (or equivalent)

Tools

Fiji/ImageJ

MATLAB

Python

Histology

Job description

Application Window

Open date: October 5, 2026

Next review date: Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Wednesday, Apr 5, 2028 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

Associate Specialist - Hasenstaub Laboratory

The Hasenstaub Laboratory in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco seeks an Associate Specialist to support research on the anatomical and physiological organization of neural circuits involved in auditory processing.

Under the direction of the principal investigator and senior laboratory members, the Associate Specialist will perform experiments examining local and long-range neural circuits in the mouse auditory system. Responsibilities will include stereotaxic surgery and viral-vector injections; neuroanatomical tracing using adeno-associated viral vectors and monosynaptic rabies-virus approaches; tissue preparation, histology, and immunostaining; fluorescence microscopy; identification and quantification of labeled neuronal populations; and registration of histological sections to reference mouse brain atlases.

The Associate Specialist will perform quantitative analysis of anatomical tracing datasets using established laboratory protocols and analysis methods,, including classification of labeled neurons by brain region and cortical layer, comparison of inputs to superficial and deep auditory cortex, organization and quality control of experimental datasets, statistical analysis, and preparation of figures for presentations and scientific publications.

The position will also involve electrophysiological experiments in mouse auditory circuits, including data acquisition and routine processing of electrophysiological recordings. The Associate Specialist will work under the guidance of the principal investigator and senior laboratory members to carry out assigned experiments, analyze and organize research data, maintain accurate experimental records, and contribute to the preparation of figures and research materials.

Required Qualifications

• Specialist appointed at the Associate Rank must possess a Master's degree (or equivalent degree) or five to ten years of experience in the relevant specialization.
• Research experience in neuroscience, neurobiology, physiology, or a closely related field.
• Experience conducting experiments in laboratory animals.
• Experience with quantitative analysis of neuroscience or other biological data.
• Experience with scientific imaging and image analysis.
• Ability to follow established experimental protocols and carry out assigned research activities under the direction of the principal investigator and senior laboratory members.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to maintain accurate experimental and analytical records.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with mouse auditory-system or systems-neuroscience research.
• Experience with stereotaxic surgery and intracranial viral-vector injections.
• Experience with AAV-based retrograde tracing and/or monosynaptic rabies-virus tracing.
• Experience with histology, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence microscopy.
• Experience identifying and quantifying labeled neurons across cortical and subcortical brain regions.
• Experience registering histological sections to a reference mouse brain atlas.
• Experience with Fiji/ImageJ, MATLAB, Python, or related scientific-analysis software.
• Experience with electrophysiological recording techniques.
• Experience preparing quantitative analyses, figures, and manuscripts for scientific publication.

See Table 24B for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $78,300 - $91,100.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - CV must clearly list current and/or pending qualifications (e.g. board eligibility/certification, medical licensure, etc.).
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Statement of Teaching (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

About UC San Francisco

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

UCSF is committed to welcoming and serving all people, honoring the dignity of every individual without preference or prejudice, in support of its public mission and in alignment with our PRIDE values and Principles of Community.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: ...

Job location

San Francisco, CA