Infant Sleep Neuroscience Postdoc: Electrophysiology & RNA-Seq

University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 61,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Biology at University of Virginia invites applications for a postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Harris Kaplan’s lab. The work uses molecular and neurophysiological techniques to study infant brain function and behavior, with mice as a model, focusing on infant sleep and sleep state regulation.

The selected candidate will work closely with Dr. Kaplan, support research initiatives, mentor students, and help develop new approaches.

Qualifications

• PhD in Neuroscience, Biology, or a related field by the start date.
• Demonstrated expertise in electrophysiology in head-fixed infant rodents.
• Experience defining sleep states in rodents, especially infants.
• Proficiency with brain histology, rodent husbandry, and molecular biology techniques.
• Strong experimental design, data analysis, and data management.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with publications or presentations.
• Ability to develop and learn new techniques and approaches.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and mentor junior members.

Responsibilities

• Support research initiatives under Dr. Kaplan and mentor lab students.
• Complete planned project work and develop new directions for the project.
• Contribute to experimental design and data interpretation.
• Assist with collaboration and dissemination of findings.

Skills

Electrophysiology

Sleep-state analysis

Data analysis

Mentorship

Communication

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in Neuroscience, Biology, or related field

Tools

Brain histology

Rodent husbandry

Molecular biology techniques

Single‑nucleus RNA sequencing

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

The Department of Biology at University of Virginia invites applications for a postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Harris Kaplan’s lab. The work uses molecular and neurophysiological techniques to study infant brain function and behavior, with mice as a model, focusing on infant sleep and sleep state regulation.

The selected candidate will work closely with Dr. Kaplan, support research initiatives, mentor students, and help develop new approaches.