In Vivo Research Associate: Rodent Surgery & Data

Merge Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs in San Francisco is seeking a Research Associate with strong in vivo expertise and hands-on rodent surgical experience to join our In Vivo team. This highly hands-on role focuses on executing and scaling in vivo operations with independence, precision, and delivering reproducible data across multiple studies.

You will partner with Scientists to generate high-quality, reproducible data, optimize workflows, and help build scalable in vivo pipelines from the ground up.

Qualifications

• BS, BA, or MS in Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or a related field, with 5+ years of relevant academic or industry experience, including strong hands‑on in vivo research expertise – particularly in rodent stereotaxic surgery (handling, dosing, monitoring, and post‑operative care) – and a demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality, rigorously documented studies while balancing speed and precision across multiple concurrent experiments.
• Have proven ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple concurrent studies.
• Have strong attention to detail with a focus on data quality, reproducibility, and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Execute complex in vivo studies in rodents, including execution of advanced surgical procedures and managing day‑to‑day study activities, including scheduling, dosing, monitoring, and data collection.
• Perform tissue collection, processing, coordination of downstream analyses (e.g., immunofluorescence, H&E staining, and ELISAs) and support histology and immunological assays as needed.
• Troubleshoot experimental issues and contribute to protocol optimization and workflow improvements.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Maintain accurate, detailed, and audit‑ready study documentation.
• Ensure strict adherence to animal welfare, regulatory, and biosafety standards.

Skills

in vivo research

rodent stereotaxic surgery

data quality & documentation

cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS/BA or MS in Biology/Neuroscience/Bioengineering

Job description

Merge Labs in San Francisco is seeking a Research Associate with strong in vivo expertise and hands-on rodent surgical experience to join our In Vivo team. This highly hands-on role focuses on executing and scaling in vivo operations with independence, precision, and delivering reproducible data across multiple studies.

You will partner with Scientists to generate high-quality, reproducible data, optimize workflows, and help build scalable in vivo pipelines from the ground up.