How to Apply
A detailed cover letter is required for consideration when applying for this position and should be uploaded via the UM Careers website as the first page(s) of a single, electronic document of application materials that also includes your CV or resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline your skills and experience that directly relate to the duties described below.
Job Summary
A full-time Research Technician Associate position is open in Associate Professor Omar Ahmed's neural circuits and neuropsychiatric therapies lab at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The lab combines cutting-edge in vivo & slice electrophysiology, 2-photon imaging, optogenetic control of behavior, and computational modeling. The lab's goal is to understand the neural circuits that underline spatial navigation & memory and how these circuits go wrong in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
The Research Technician Associate will work closely with Dr. Ahmed and other lab staff to help support all of the lab's behavioral, physiological and data-driven projects. The ideal candidate will have experience with one or more of the following: whole cell recordings (intracellular ephys), confocal imaging, 2-photon imaging, python/Matlab programming, computational neuroscience modeling using Neuron or other software packages. In addition, the candidate must have exceptionally strong organizational and interpersonal skills and a desire to learn new things every day. The Research Technician will be solving new problems with a large degree of independence in a fast-moving, cutting-edge neuroscience environment, while facilitating the lab's day-to-day data operations. The Research Technician Associate will also be guided to develop their own research project while in the lab, and this position is ideal for those considering applications to graduate or medical school in the near future.
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Why Work at Michigan?
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
- Generous time off, including vacation time, sick time, holiday and season days
- A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
- Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
- Life insurance
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
In addition, LSA offers:
- Strong commitment to work/life balance
- Flexible work arrangements with respect to campus stakeholder needs
- Enhanced tuition support programs for LSA courses
Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care ? that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It adds purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.
Responsibilities*
- Perform intracellular neuronal recordings to elucidate the physiological correlates of behavioral circuit function
- Manage, genotyping and maintain custom-engineered CRISPR-Cas and other colonies
- Analyze ex vivo and behavioral data, make figures and interpret results in collaboration with the PI
- Confocal imaging of brain slices and neuronal fills
- Perhaps intracranial injection surgeries to allow for optogenetic circuit mapping
Required Qualifications*
- High school diploma or Associate degree
- 2 years of research experience
- Evidence of outstanding organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently
Desired Qualifications*
- Bachelor degree in neuroscience, biopsychology, computer science, biomedical engineering, or a related discipline
- Extensive programming and/or rodent behavioral experience
- Willingness to learn modern neuroscience methods and computational techniques
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
The salary range is $31,200 to $34,100. Please note that a higher salary may be offered based on equity and the selected candidate's experience.
This is a 12-month term-limited position with the possibility of renewal. The anticipated start date is January 2nd, 2026.
As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.