Neuroscience Research Scientist: Reward Circuits in Mice

New York State Psychiatric Institute; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Job summary

The New York State Psychiatric Institute seeks a Research Scientist to perform advanced systems neuroscience research focused on how early-life adversity affects reward processing and ventral pallidal-accumbal circuits. The role combines developmental stress models in mice with electrophysiology, optogenetics, viral tracing, and computational analysis.

Responsibilities include designing longitudinal behavioral studies, performing surgeries, maintaining mouse colonies, developing data pipelines

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Master’s with relevant research experience; PhD preferred.
• Experience in neuroscience or related field with animal models encouraged.
• Strong experimental design and data analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and run longitudinal behavioral experiments with developmental stress models.
• Perform stereotaxic surgery and viral delivery with recovery care.
• Breed and maintain transgenic mouse colonies; genotyping.
• Conduct in vivo optogenetic, fiber photometry and electrophysiology in awake mice.
• Histology, immunohistochemistry and whole-brain mapping; atlas registration.
• Develop analysis pipelines in Python, R or MATLAB.
• Prepare figures for manuscripts and grants; present at meetings.
• Supervise technicians and students; ensure safety and records.
• Maintain IACUC compliance and accurate experimental records.
• Occasional evening/weekend work for animal care.

Skills

Neuroscience research

Behavioral assays

Electrophysiology

Optogenetics

Data analysis (Python/MATLAB/R)

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree with relevant research experience

PhD preferred

Tools

Stereotaxic surgery

Viral vector delivery

Fiber photometry

Whole-brain mapping

Python/R/MATLAB

Job description

The New York State Psychiatric Institute seeks a Research Scientist to perform advanced systems neuroscience research focused on how early-life adversity affects reward processing and ventral pallidal-accumbal circuits. The role combines developmental stress models in mice with electrophysiology, optogenetics, viral tracing, and computational analysis.

Responsibilities include designing longitudinal behavioral studies, performing surgeries, maintaining mouse colonies, developing data pipelines