Job no: 497332
Work type: Post Doc (Amherst Only), Staff Full Time/Part-Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Biology
Union: Post Doc
Categories: Research

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

Appointee will be involved in a translational line of research focused on neural pre-attentive mechanisms and the transfer of this knowledge into animal models of psychiatric and neurological diseases. The appointee is expected to develop a research program to study neuronal activity using immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology and Optogenetics in vivo and in vitro, using mice.

The appointee must be proficient in mouse surgeries, prepare solution for electrophysiological recordings, must have neuroscience knowledge including but not limited to electrophysiology, synaptic plasticity, neuroanatomical analyses, mouse behavioral studies. The appointee is expected to establish some independence in research design and execution. This person will play a lead role in the execution and publication of their experiments, and will work closely with the PI on all aspects of the project. The trainee is expected be able to simultaneously acquire data and train graduate students.

Essential Functions

Examples of duties:

• Learn and/or perform stereotaxic surgeries and intracranial neuronal tracer delivery.
• Perform patch clamp electrophysiology in vitro using mouse brain slices (Whole cell recordings in current clamp and voltage clamp mode; Outside-out patch clamp; Paired patch clamp).
• Perform in vitro extracellular recordings using mouse brain slices.
• Establish cell culture techniques: Primary neuronal culture preparation (various brain regions from prenatal and adult mice).
• Proficient with microscopy techniques: Standard and confocal multiphoton immunofluorescence microscopy.
• Design and use cellular, biochemical and functional assays, including: Western blotting; intracellular Ca2+ fluorometry; nitric oxide synthase activity.
• Proficient with computer software for data acquisition and analysis such as: Molecular Devices PClamp 10 or 11; Igor Pro; Graphpad Prism; Adobe; Photoshop and ImageJ.

Other Functions

• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality and inclusiveness. In the performance of work, take initiative, be creative, and operate with self-direction. Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Must have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, physiology, psychology or a closely related field.
• Previous experience with electrophysiology, optogenetics and/or animal behavior.
• Interested in evaluating the contribution of different brain pathways to sensorimotor gating.
• Experience with mentoring students and collaborative work with other groups.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently to organize multiple tasks and set priorities for action, take initiative, be creative, and operate with self-direction in a fast-paced office environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively and work productively in establishing and maintaining harmonious working relationships with a diverse population of faculty, staff and students.
• Ability to organize and prioritize goals; ability to collaborate well to formulate plans and objectives in accordance with overall college goals; ability to identify and implement process improvements.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to set and meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of accuracy and quality.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Ability to work in a lab environment.

Additional Details

Direct supervision by the P.I. (Karine Fenelon) and other highly trained/qualified senior graduate students.

Work Schedule

Monday – Friday

Salary Information

Salary will commensurate with qualifications and experience and is consistent with bargaining unit contract.

Special Instructions to Applicants

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, a summary of research accomplishments and contact information for three professional references. Search may remain open until a suitable candidate pool has been identified.

As part of a commitment to their own multicultural community, CNS seeks an individual with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and one who will understand and embrace university initiatives and aspirations. http://www.cns.umass.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Jan 17 2019 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: