Research Associate Rodent Surgery and Behavior
A 501(c)(3) science-and-technology research institute/foundation operating direct Neuro-AI research, life-sciences programs through Radial, and an open-science residency program.
About Astera Institute
Astera Institute supports and operates open public-goods work for science and technology. Its current activities include neuroscience-informed AGI research, AI-enabled life-sciences programs, open datasets and publishing infrastructure, and residencies for early-stage projects.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will perform mouse survival surgeries, train head-fixed animals, collect behavioral data, maintain behavior rigs, coordinate colony readiness, and keep shared records of surgeries and training histories.
Requirements
- Hands-on experience performing mouse survival surgeries, including chronic cranial-window implantation, headbar installation, and stereotaxic viral injections
- Track record of high surgical yield and healthy, long-lived window preparations
- Experience in neuroscience, biology, bioengineering, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
- Ability to sustain high-quality surgical work at volume
Responsibilities
- Perform mouse survival surgeries, including stereotaxic viral-vector delivery, chronic cranial-window implantation, and headbar installation
- Run head-fixed behavior training, collect data, and maintain training rigs
- Build and maintain behavior rigs, including Bonsai, Harp, and lickport hardware
- Manage the mouse colony and coordinate animal sourcing, health, and readiness with the vivarium
- Maintain shared records of surgeries, training histories, and preparation quality
- Coordinate preparation, imaging, and perturbation activities with scientists