Postdoctoral Research Associate

About the Role

A postdoctoral research associate position is available with Dr. Bikoff in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, studying motor circuitry in mice. Projects will focus on the synaptic and circuit organization of neurons in the spinal cord and how these circuits shape motor output. The lab aims to understand the organization and function of neural circuits that control movement, with a focus on spinal cord circuits that directly control motor output.

Key Responsibilities

• Investigate the synaptic and circuit organization of genetically defined populations of spinal interneurons critically important for movement.
• Employ a range of approaches including mouse genetics, viral tracing strategies, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and imaging methodologies.
• Independently develop a research project and take it in new directions.
• Provide individual mentoring and training, as well as ongoing support at all stages of career development.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• PhD or MD/PhD in neuroscience or a related discipline.
• Strong experimental training and the ability to independently design and execute experiments and interpret data.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, highly collaborative environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Prior experience in studying neural circuits, including familiarity with mouse genetics and viral tools is preferred.
• Familiarity with programming languages (e.g. R, Python) and an ability to work with large datasets is preferred.
• Familiarity with single-cell genomic and/or spatial transcriptomic approaches for molecular profiling is preferred.

Qualifications

• PhD or MD/PhD in neuroscience or a related discipline.
• Strong experimental training.
• Ability to independently design and execute experiments and interpret data.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary, highly collaborative environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong record of peer-reviewed publications.