Research Associate II – Neural Coding - Axonal Connectomics

The mission of the Allen Institute is to understand the principles that govern life, and to advance health. Our creative and multi-dimensional teams focus on answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience. We accelerate foundational research, catalyze bold ideas, develop tools and models, and openly share our science to make a broad, transformational impact on the world.

The mission of the Allen Institute for Brain Science is to accelerate the understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease. Using a big science approach, we generate useful public resources, drive technological and analytical advances, and discover fundamental brain properties through the integration of experiments, modeling, and theory.

The goal of the Axonal Connectomics team, within the Neural Coding department, is to characterize the trajectories of projection axons, the wires connecting different brain areas, throughout the brain. The long-term aim is to provide such a map for the entire human brain, thus providing the first fine-grained map of brain-wide connectivity.

At the Allen Institute, we believe that science is for everyone – and should be open to everyone. We are dedicated to combating biases and reducing barriers to STEM careers more broadly.

We also believe that science is better when it includes different perspectives and voices. We strive to make the Allen Institute a place where everyone feels like they belong and are empowered to do their best work in a supportive environment.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Essential Functions

• Perform basic tissue handling, including microtome-sectioning, mounting onto a slide, and coverslipping
• Use advanced histological procedures to antibody-stain, expand, and clear individual sections of the brain
• Coordinate with the imaging and computational teams to optimize sample preparation protocols and generate 3D data sets
• Receive and maintain records on tissue samples
• Image samples on light-sheet and confocal microscopes, perform production imaging as necessary
• Coordinate with collaborating teams, both within the Allen Institute and externally

*Note: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.*

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Neuroscience, Chemistry, or related fields
• 2+ years of experience with related skills, especially histology
• Moderate experience with simple data analysis tools, including ability to modify Jupyter notebooks in Python and perform basic image analysis with ImageJ

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, psychology or related field preferred
• 3 or more years of laboratory experience preferred
• Experience leading and communicating across teams, and organizing/prioritizing data collection and analysis
• Ability to work in a collaborative team environment
• Excellent communication skills, including writing protocols and editing grants and/or manuscripts

Work Environment

• Possible exposure to BioSafety Level 2 hazards, such as NHP materials and recombinant viruses
• Includes wearing personnel protective equipment (PPE)
• Includes handling non-human primate and human brain samples

Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting up to 30 pounds
• Fine motor movements in fingers/hands to operate computers and other office equipment; repetitive motion with lab equipment
• Push/pull up to 50 lbs
• Stooping, bending, crouching
• Reaching or climbing ladders

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• This is an essential job, and you are expected to report for work regardless of weather and/or other conditions
• Occasional evening and weekend hours required
• This role is currently working onsite and is expected to work onsite for the majority of working hours. The primary work location for this role is 615 Westlake Ave N., with the flexibility to work remotely on a limited basis.

Annualized Salary Range

• $65,500- $80,150*

* Final salary depends on the required education for the role, experience, level of skills relevant to the role, and work location, where applicable.

Benefits

• Employees (and their families) are eligible to enroll in benefits per eligibility rules outlined in the Allen Institute’s Benefits Guide. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are also eligible to enroll in the Allen Institute’s 401k plan. Paid time off is also available as outlined in the Allen Institutes Benefits Guide. Details on the Allen Institute’s benefits offering are located at the following link to the Benefits Guide: https://alleninstitute.org/careers/benefits.

It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.