The Nieh Lab in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Virginia seeks a postdoctoral research associate to carry out research characterizing the neural circuits underlying motivated behaviors, such as drug-seeking, feeding, and social interaction. The individual will work directly with Professor Nieh to set up and acquire data using state-of-the-art cellular-resolution simultaneous imaging and stimulation 2-photon microscopes, design and perform head-fixed drug self-administration and feeding tasks, perform stereotaxic surgeries for viral injections and optics implants, and carryout analyses of imaging and behavioral data.

As Professor Nieh’s first postdoc, you will receive individual guidance and training to achieve your career goals, whether they are in industry or academia. You will not only build your scientific skills, but also your professional skills, including writing papers and grants, giving presentations and talks, and leading a team and people management. You will also have the opportunity to train and mentor junior lab members and establish yourself as a scientific leader in neuroscience.

Learn more about the research and philosophy of the Nieh Lab at: https://www.niehlab.com/

Duties and Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

Laboratory/Research Tasks

• Assisting in the setup of and acquiring data from 2-photon microscopes for simultaneous cellular-resolution imaging and stimulation
• Analyzing calcium imaging data and generating publication-quality figures
• Designing and training mice on new head-fixed drug and food self-administration behavioral tasks
• Performing stereotaxic surgeries for viral injections and optics implants
• Running behavioral assays, such as open field, elevated plus, social interaction, and drug self-administration

General Lab Maintenance Tasks

• Assisting in overall laboratory maintenance, including making sure equipment is in working condition and materials remain in stock
• Processing purchases for the lab using UVA Marketplace
• Interacting with vendors for purchasing purposes

Minimum Requirements:

Education: Doctoral degree, preferably in neuroscience, biology, psychology, biomedical engineering, or related life science and engineering fields.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in systems and/or computational neuroscience techniques
• The ability to work effectively in both a team environment and independently
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• The ability to learn new techniques, synthesize new information, and maintain knowledge on animal and safety protocols/procedures
• Comfort working with laboratory animals (mice) in a research setting, including running behavioral assays

Physical Demands:
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

This is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit https://hr.virginia.edu/benefits .   

Anticipated Hiring Range: $60,000 - $70,000 annually, commensurate with education and experience.

This position will remain open until filled. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. A completed pre-employment health screen is required for this position prior to employment.

To Apply:

Please apply through Workday , and search for R0044267. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'. Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV or Resume
• Cover letter detailing your interest in this position

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey during the final phase of the interview process. For questions about the application process, please contact Jeremy Brofft, Senior Recruiting Specialist at xmf9ad@virginia.edu .

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/ .

COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines

Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines  webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements?and?guidelines for employment at UVA.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.