Senior Scientist, Neuroscience & Electrophysiology (Part-Time)

37degrees, Inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

37degrees, Inc. in Chicago is seeking a Senior Scientist in neuroscience to lead the biology behind a new NIH-funded platform for long-term culture, recording and stimulation of living neurons at our Chicago R&D facility.

You will be an expert in electrophysiology, neuropharmacology and MEA recordings, design experiments with primary rodent neurons, human iPSC-derived neurons, and 3D models; lead the program toward milestones while collaborating with R&D, engineering, and our academic partner.

Qualifications

• PhD in neuroscience or related field.
• Postdoctoral or research-staff experience at a neuroscience institute.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Set the scientific direction for the program and milestones.
• Design and run long-term MEA studies across weeks to months.
• Lead electrophysiology, pharmacology, and stimulation studies.
• Collaborate with academic partner and internal teams to translate biology into product requirements.
• Support grant applications and progress reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Experiment design

Education

PhD in neuroscience

Postdoctoral or research experience

Publications in peer-reviewed journals

Tools

Python

MATLAB

HD-MEA

Job description

Company Description

37degrees, Inc. specializes in innovative products tailored to the needs of life science, pharmaceutical, and fundamental research applications. Our products are designed for portability, scalability, and novel use cases, empowering scientists to achieve their goals with cutting-edge solutions. By collaborating with researchers, we leverage advanced technology to create tools that facilitate groundbreaking experiments and push the boundaries of biological knowledge. We are committed to learning and evolving alongside our scientific community, continually offering new advancements in life science technology.

Company Description

37degrees, Inc. specializes in innovative products tailored to the needs of life science, pharmaceutical, and fundamental research applications. Our products are designed for portability, scalability, and novel use cases, empowering scientists to achieve their goals with cutting-edge solutions. By collaborating with researchers, we leverage advanced technology to create tools that facilitate groundbreaking experiments and push the boundaries of biological knowledge. We are committed to learning and evolving alongside our scientific community, continually offering new advancements in life science technology.

Role Description

37degrees is looking for a Senior Scientist in neuroscience to lead the biology behind a new, NIH-funded platform for long-term culture, recording and stimulation of living neurons. The platform is engineered at our Chicago R&D facility, and the neurobiology is carried out together with a world-leading neuroscience institute.

You will be an expert in electrophysiology, neuropharmacology and microelectrode array (MEA) recordings. You will set the scientific direction for the work and make sure the program hits its milestones. You will design and run experiments with primary rodent neurons, human iPSC-derived neurons and, over time, 3D models such as brain organoids.

This is a part-time role, starting at 20% effort, with room to grow as the program moves into its next phase. You will work directly with the Founder & CEO and with every part of the company: R&D and engineering, commercial and marketing.

Who This Role Could Be Great For

A postdoctoral fellow or research scientist at a leading neuroscience institute who wants to shape a new tool for the field, without leaving their research career. You have a strong publication record and want hands-on experience of how a product is built, validated and brought to scientists, working with the founding team of a fast-moving life science company.

Responsibilities

• Scientific direction. Set the scientific direction for the program, and propose new applications, models and experiments that extend it.
• Experimental design. Design and run long-term MEA studies that record and compare network activity, firing and bursting over weeks to months.
• Electrophysiology and pharmacology. Lead studies combining electrical, optogenetic and pharmacological stimulation, including closed-loop experiments and compound response assays.
• Neuronal models. Guide culture work with primary rodent cortical and hippocampal neurons, human iPSC-derived neurons, and 3D organoids or slices.
• Data analysis. Own the analysis approach: spike sorting, burst and network metrics, statistics, and pairing electrophysiology with calcium imaging.
• Program delivery. Keep the work on track against its milestones, and help prepare progress reports and future grant applications.
• Collaboration. Work closely with our academic research partner and with our engineering team, turning biological needs into product requirements.
• Commercial and marketing support. Help shape application notes, publications, conference presentations and conversations with scientific customers.

Qualifications

Required

• PhD in neuroscience, neurophysiology, pharmacology, bioengineering or a related field
• Postdoctoral or research-staff experience at a leading neuroscience institute or university
• Deep hands-on expertise in in-vitro electrophysiology, with MEA recordings (multi-well or high-density) as a core skill
• Strong background in neuropharmacology: compound testing, dose response, and the pharmacology of network activity
• Experience culturing primary neurons and/or human iPSC-derived neurons for long-term studies
• A record of high-quality, first-or senior-author publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Proven scientific leadership: leading projects, mentoring others, or contributing to grant applications
• Excellent written and spoken communication, including to non-specialists
• Valid authorization to work in the United States

Preferred

• Based in the Chicago area, able to work on-site at our R&D facility
• A big plus: live-cell and fluorescence imaging (including calcium imaging) combined with electrophysiology
• A big plus: optogenetics, and closed-loop feedback control of neuronal systems
• Proven experience with high-density MEA (HD-MEA) technology
• A track record of leading grant applications that won funding
• Customer discovery experience: interviewing researchers to understand their workflows and unmet needs
• 3D brain organoids, neural spheroids or organotypic slice culture
• Disease modeling in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions
• Analysis coding in Python or MATLAB (spike sorting, network and burst analysis)
• Experience working with industry, or using or developing research instruments
• Interest in entrepreneurship and bringing new technology to the research community

Position Details

• Location: Chicago, IL, on-site at our R&D facility, with some flexibility for remote work
• Time commitment: Part-time, starting at 20% effort
• Reports to: Founder & CEO
• Works with: R&D and engineering, commercial, marketing, and our academic research partner