Research Scientist

Working at MIT offers opportunities, an environment, a culture – and benefits – that just aren’t found together anywhere else. If you’re curious, motivated, want to be part of a unique community, and help shape the future – then take a look at this opportunity.

RESEARCH SCIENTIST, McGovern Institute for Brain Research-Synthetic Neurobiology Research Group (Boyden Lab), to join a lab that is developing cutting edge approaches to observing and controlling the nervous system and applying them to entire small brains to systematically analyze them, with a goal of generating computational models of how entire brains work to generate behavior. Will work on developing and investigating C. elegans behavioral paradigms and integrating these behavioral studies with whole-brain observational and control tools under development in the lab. There will be much collaborative work with other people in the group who are inventing or applying specific neurotechnologies. Responsibilities include developing and studying C. elegans behavioral paradigms, studying both worm populations and single worms; collaborating with others, applying whole-brain observational and control technologies (e.g., using custom microscopes) to the study of neural activity throughout behaving worms; performing worm genetics, including the generation of transgenic worms and worm lines and worm crosses to incorporate novel molecular tools into C. elegans; computationally analyzing behavioral and imaging data to derive biologically useful conclusions; assisting with manuscript writing; developing, revising, and/or implementing lab procedures with other group members; recognizing problems or situations that are new and inventing or finding solutions; and performing related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements
REQUIRED: Ph.D. in neuroscience, biological engineering, biology, or a related field and relevant postdoctoral training; experience with C. elegans genetics, including transgenesis, line generation, and crosses; and experience with C. elegans behavior, including phenotyping and computational data analysis. Job #19366

This appointment is for one year with the possibility of extension based upon funding and course of research.