Postdoctoral Research Associate

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

As one of the fastest-growing academic health centers in the nation, Texas A&M Health encompasses five colleges and numerous centers and institutes working together to improve health through transformative education, innovative research and team-based health care delivery.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate, under general supervision, is responsible for conducting research into their field of expertise. This position will study the roles of the basal ganglia and corticostriatal circuit mechanisms underlying substance use disorders and neurodegenerative disease using rodent models. Research in the lab utilizes state-of-the-art technologies, including oral and intravenous alcohol and drug self-administration in operant chambers, in vivo optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulation, slice electrophysiology, viral and rodent genetics, confocal imaging to investigate circuit mechanisms of addiction and neurodegenerative disorders.

Travel: This position may require travel.

Schedule: This position may require work beyond normal office hours and/or work on weekends.

Please note: This position is grant funded; future employment may be contingent upon future funding.

Responsibilities:

• Under general supervision, is responsible for conducting research into their field of expertise.
• Design research experiments.
• Writes and may contribute to research papers, articles, and publications.
• Train rats and mice to self-administer alcohol, cocaine, or opioids (e.g., morphine or fentanyl) using operant chambers.
• Perform slice electrophysiology recordings (e.g., whole-cell patch clamp) to assess synaptic and intrinsic properties.
• Design and execute fiber photometry experiments to monitor population calcium dynamics during behavior.
• Conduct stereotaxic surgeries for viral delivery and implantation (cannula, optical fiber, or electrode).
• Analyze electrophysiology and photometry data using appropriate software and statistical methods.
• Conduct selected behavioral assays (e.g., operant self-administration or conditioned place preference) as needed to support circuit-level studies.

Lab Specific Duties

• Conduct stereotaxic infusion of virus or other neuronal tracers.
• Perform intracardial perfusion and brain fixation.
• Perform brain sectioning using vibratome or cryostat.
• Mount brain section and acquire section image using confocal microscope.
• Analyze confocal images using Imaris and other programs

Presentations

• Prepares presentation materials on research topic that may be presented to small and/or large groups.
• Actively participates in the preparation of required technical progress reports to research sponsors.
• Construct graphs with analyzed data. Write manuscript and rebuttal letters.

Mentoring

• May assist, mentor, and/or supervise student researchers and/or graduate students who are working on research related to the project.

Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience:

• Appropriate PhD in neuroscience or related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of research experience after obtaining Ph.D. degree.
• Prior in-depth experience with rodent behavioral assay, including operant self-administration of alcohol or drug in rats or mice.
• Experience with slice electrophysiology (e.g., whole-cell patch clamp recordings).
• Experience with fiber photometry for monitoring neural activity in vivo.
• Strong experience with stereotaxic virus or drug infusion, conditioned place preference, locomotor activity measurement, T-maze and Barn's Maze. Experience with chemo genetic and optogenetic manipulation of rodent behavior, immunohistochemistry and image analysis.
• Trackable records on first-author publications. Knowledge of cellular, synaptic, and circuit mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease or alcohol, cocaine, or opioid use disorders.
• Knowledge of behavioral science including instrumental and pavlovian conditioning, goal-directed versus habitual behaviors, and learning and memory.
• Ability to conduct and analyze oral or intravenous operant drug self-administration in rats or mice, canula or optical fiber implantation, conditioned place preference or aversion, locomotor activity, T-maze or Barn's maze.
• Ability to write manuscript and funding.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written skills.
• Attention to detail

Why Texas A&M University?

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered, or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.