Research Specialist

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Exclusive perks for campus discounts

Job summary

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks a Research Specialist to join the Hantman lab. You will train mice in skilled movements, record neural activity, and help manipulate brain activity to study developmental disorder models.

The role involves mouse husbandry, training, surgery, histology, and data preprocessing under senior mentorship. The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s degree in biology/neuroscience or related field, strong attention to detail, and a genuine interest in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Experience with laboratory animal handling is preferred.
• Ability to perform mouse surgery and histology procedures.

Responsibilities

• Handle and care for mice in the lab.
• Train mice for reaching and grasping tasks.
• Perform mouse surgery and histology.
• Preprocess behavioral and neural data.
• Collaborate with senior lab members on Angelman, Dup15q, Rett, and Autism models.

Skills

Mouse handling

Lab techniques

Behavioral neuroscience

Data preprocessing

Mice training

Surgical preparation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in biology/neuroscience/related

Tools

Histology equipment

Surgical tools

Python/R

Job description

Full-time/Part-time Permanent/Time-Limited

Full-time/Part-time Permanent/Time-Limited Full-Time Permanent

If time-limited, estimated duration of appointment

This position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC -Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package , paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

Position Summary

This position is for a research specialist to work in the laboratory of Dr. Adam Hantman at UNC (https://www.med.unc.edu/neuroscience/hantmanlab/). Our lab studies how complex networks in the brain control movements. We use modern experimental neuroscience techniques to (1) train mice to perform reaching and grasping tasks, (2) record brain activity from multiple brain areas as mice perform skilled movements, (3) use genetic tools to manipulate brain activity to better understand the neural control of movement. This position is for an individual to work on a project that is investigating mouse models of developmental disorders. This individual will with work closely with two senior lab members on a project investigating neural dynamics and skilled movement control in mouse models of Angelman syndrome, Dup15q syndrome, NGLY1 deficiency, Rett syndrome, and Autism spectrum disorder, among others. The major responsibilities of this position include mouse husbandry, mouse training, mouse surgery, histology, and behavioral and neural data preprocessing. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated and interested in the research topic, willing to learn new skills, and with strong attention to detail and ability to carry out tasks in a consistent and accurate manner.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Management Preferences

The ideal candidate will have a strong work ethic, be highly organized, have the ability to multi-task, communicate clearly, promote and participate in collaborative endeavors, take initiative, and be intellectually vested in lab’s research goals. Candidates with previous experience in the animal research.

Required Licenses/Certifications

Special Physical/Mental Requirements

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Not Applicable.

Position/Schedule Requirements

Position/Schedule Requirements Animal Handler (non-DLAM), Exposure to Hazardous Materials, Laboratory

Office of Human Resources Contact Information

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at [phone] or send an email to [e-mail]

Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents

Posting Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please select the response below that best describes your experience/education for the Research Specialist position.
  • Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment.
  • Associate's degree in a discipline related to the area of assignment and 2 years related experience.
  • Combination of related post-high school education and experience to equal at least 4 years of experience in a closely related field. (ex: 1 year towards a related degree and 3 years of related experience).
  • High School diploma/GED and at least 4 years of related experience
  • Did not complete high school but have a combination of high school education and experience to equal at least 8 years (ex. 3 years of high school and 5 years of experience).
  • None of the above
• * Do you have a bachelor's degree in biology, neuroscience, psychology, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of training and experience?

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Do you have experience working in a laboratory animal setting?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Please briefly describe your experience with laboratory organization, animal research, behavioral neuroscience, scientific data analysis, or hands-on use/troubleshooting of custom hardware or software.

  (Open Ended Question)