Research Support Assistant II

Job Title: Research Support Assistant II

Grade: 10

Salary:$44,574-$53,143

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time Research Support Assistant II position, in which they will provide research support for several projects using mice to investigating the cellular and circuit-based mechanisms of the behavioral effects of serotonergic drugs. The candidate will help run behavioral assays on mice before and after various manipulations. Including acute and chronic pharmacology, genetic modification (germline or induced via viral vectors), stress exposure, optogenetics and chemogenetics. The candidate will also perform measurements of the manipulations including in vivo fiber photometry of with genetically encoded biosensors and ex-vivo histological markers of brain activity and neurochemical changes. The qualified candidate will work closely with other scientists including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral research scientists, and faculty members. The candidate must be highly organized, detail-focused, and an excellent record keeper. They will be expected to organize their own daily schedule based on tasks assigned and be capable of clearly communicating the results of their activities one-on-one with supervisors and in a group setting.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the laboratory animal colony (several strains of transgenic mice), including breeding, weaning, genotyping, drug administration, post-surgical care, and maintenance of accurate colony records.
• Conduct behavioral testing in rodents, including automated operant and classical conditioning with appetitive and aversive reinforcement.
• Support the projects of senior lab members, assisting with experiments including stereotaxic surgery, viral vector delivery, fiber photometry, tissue processing, and immunohistochemistry.
• Train undergraduate researchers in basic lab skills.
• Keep detailed records and discuss progress of work regularly with project supervisors and Principal Investigator.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA or equivalent degree in neuroscience, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or related field
• At least (1) year experience handling laboratory mice including breeding, weaning, biopsies for genotyping.
• At least (1) year experience in conducting rodent behavioral tests.
• At least (1) year of experience with genotyping (tail or ear biopsy, DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis).
• At least (1) year experience working with mouse brain tissue including perfusions, sectioning, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence microscopy.
• At least (2)years' experience with Proficiency with Microsoft and Google productivity suites.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency with common programming languages MATLAB, Python and/or MedPC.
• Proficiency with at least one statistical software package.

Work Location: 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032

To Apply: Submit an application through our website at https://rfmh.applicantpro.com/jobs/. Please note only applications submitted through our website will be considered.

The Mission of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc. (RFMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. RFMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations, and communities. To this end, RFMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring that RFMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees' unique attributes and skills are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. RFMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

The Research Foundation is a private not-for-profit corporation and is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. Excellent Benefits Package. Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer - Disabled/Veteran, 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) compliant.