Neuroscience (Associate Professor)

Baylor College of Medicine; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, invites applications for an Associate Professor focused on neuroscience in the St-Pierre lab. The role centers on characterizing light-responsive proteins, including GEVIs and optogenetic silencers, to advance imaging and control of neural activity.

Responsibilities include patch clamp work in HEK293 cells and neurons, GEVI evaluation in culture and brain slices, site-directed mutagenesis, data analysis, and mentoring junior researchers.

Qualifications

• Experience with patch clamp electrophysiology in mammalian cells or neurons.
• Experience using fluorescence and two-photon microscopy to study light-responsive proteins.
• Familiarity with GEVI performance in cell culture and brain slice preparations.
• Proficiency in site-directed mutagenesis to optimize protein properties.
• Ability to discover and clone novel channelrhodopsins and fluorescent biosensors.

Responsibilities

• Characterize light-gated ion channels (KCRs, ACRs) using patch clamp electrophysiology.
• Evaluate GEVI performance in mammalian cell culture and brain slices using fluorescence and two-photon imaging.
• Perform structure-function analyses to optimize protein properties.
• Maintain and troubleshoot electrophysiology rigs and imaging systems.
• Present findings at lab meetings and conferences; contribute to grants and manuscripts.

Skills

Patch clamp

Two-photon microscopy

GEVI

KCRs

ACRs

Mutagenesis

Mammalian culture

Brain slices

Data analysis

Grant writing

Tools

HEK293

Job description

Job Title: Neuroscience (Associate Professor)

Work Arrangement:

Location: Houston, TX

Salary Range:

FLSA Status: Exempt

Work Schedule:

Summary

Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) is recognized as one of the nation's premier academic health science centers and is known for excellence in education, research, and healthcare and community service. Located in the heart of the world's largest medical center (Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX), Baylor is affiliated with multiple educational, healthcare and research affiliates (Baylor Affiliates).

An Associate Professor position (non-tenure track) is available in the St-Pierre lab in the Department of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. The applicant will characterize and apply novel light-responsive proteins, including genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) and optogenetic silencers such as kalium channelrhodopsins (KCRs) and anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs), to advance tools for imaging and controlling neural activity. For examples of our recent work, see our publications in Cell and Nature Neuroscience (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.013; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01094-6). Characterize light-gated ion channels (including KCRs and ACRs) using patch clamp electrophysiology in HEK293 cells and cultured neurons, assessing photocurrent amplitude, kinetics, ion selectivity, and spectral sensitivity.

• Evaluate GEVI performance in mammalian cell culture and brain slice preparations using fluorescence and two-photon microscopy
• Perform structure-function analysis through site-directed mutagenesis to optimize protein properties
• Discover and clone novel channelrhodopsins and fluorescent biosensors from genomic and metagenomic sources
• Maintain and troubleshoot electrophysiology rigs and optical imaging systems
• Analyze data using commercial software and custom pipelines
• Mentor and train junior lab members in techniques and experimental design
• Present research findings in lab meetings and at national or international conferences
• Take a leading role in writing grants and manuscripts related to their primary projects, and contribute, as appropriate, to other grants and manuscripts from the lab.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

Baylor College of Medicine fosters diversity among its students, trainees, faculty, and staff as a prerequisite to accomplishing our institutional mission and setting standards for excellence in training healthcare providers and biomedical scientists, promoting scientific innovation, and providing patient-centered care. Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.