Job TitleResearch AssistantAgencyTexas A&M UniversityDepartmentPsychologyProposed Minimum SalaryCommensurateJob LocationCollege Station, TexasJob TypeStaffJob DescriptionGlimpse of the Job Are you passionate about scientific discovery and eager to make an impact in the field of neurobiology? Join our team in the Department of Psychology as a Research Assistant, where you'll play a pivotal role in unraveling the neurobiological mechanisms underlying behavior, with a special focus on stress and depression. In this position, you'll engage in a variety of tasks, including behavioral testing, maintaining animal models, performing molecular techniques, and conducting surgical procedures using mice. We're looking for a highly motivated, detail-oriented individual with a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for advancing scientific knowledge. If you're ready to contribute to this research and be part of a dedicated team, we encourage you to apply!Opportunities to Contribute
Managing undergraduate student workers in the lab.
Collecting and meticulously documenting research data, maintaining accurate records of experiments and procedures.
Operating and maintaining laboratory equipment, including autoclaves and microscopes.
Maintaining and breeding mice colonies, including genotyping.
Administering compounds/ligands/drugs to mice and conducting behavioral tests (e.g., forced swim test, splash/groom test, sucrose preference test, Morris water maze, motoric performance).
Implementing the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model of depression in mice.
Performing intracranial stereotaxic surgeries, perfusions, and tissue collection.
Processing and analyzing tissue samples using techniques such as immunohistochemistry, Western blots, ELISA, PCR, and gel electrophoresis.
Contributing to a collaborative and supportive lab environment.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of experience.
A well-qualified candidate will also possess one of more or the following
Prior laboratory experience with technical skills related to behavioral testing, molecular techniques, and surgical procedures.
Strong motoric and fine motor capabilities for surgeries on rodents and tissue processing.
Effective oral and written communication skills.
Ability to positively and professionally interact with students.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
Working knowledge of office software programs.
Salary: Compensation will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience.Special Note: This position is funded from grant and/or contract funding, which is renewed through provisions of the grantor of the contract. Therefore, this position is contingent upon continuation of funding from these grants and/or contracts, as well as satisfactory job performance.What You Need to Do Apply! Submit a resume/cv and cover letter. These documents will help us with the review process. You may upload these documents on the application under CV/Resume.Why Texas A&M University? Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values (https://www.tamu.edu/about/coreValues.html) which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is engaged in research that falls into all five graduate areas of specialization:
Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience
Clinical Psychology
Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Psychology
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Social & Personality Psychology
In addition to the Department of Psychological and Brain Science’s 5 areas of specialization, we have overlapping research interests that bridge traditional areas of psychology. These primary research themes include Affective Science; Diversity Science; Neuroscience; Personality and Individual Differences. To learn more please visit our site at https://artsci.tamu.edu/psychological-brain-sciences/index.html We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.
Medical, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/medical/) prescription drug, dental, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/dental/) vision, life and AD&D, (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/life-add/) flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance (https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/long-term-disability/) with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
12-15 days (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/index.html) of annual paid holidays
Up to eight hours of paid sick leave (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/sick.html) and at least eight hours of paid vacation (https://employees.tamu.edu/employee-relations/leave/paid/vacation.html) each month
Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx)
Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time (https://flourish.tamu.edu/wellness-release-time/)
Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning (https://linkedinlearning.tamu.edu/) training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
Educational release time and tuition assistance (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/employee-tuition-assistance) for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
Living Well, (https://livingwell.tamu.edu/) a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees
Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume’ or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.