UCSD Department of Psychiatry is one of the most innovative and productive academic departments in the country, offering challenging career opportunities in the diverse areas of advanced educational programs, cutting-edge research, and state-of-the-art clinical services. The department is committed to offering a dynamic learning environment and growing opportunities to its talented and dedicated employees.

Under supervision, the incumbent will work as a Laboratory Assistant II as part of a Department of Psychiatry research laboratory focused on neural circuitry and neurochemistry underlying motivated behavior, decision making, and psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia, and substance use, as well as neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. The incumbent will assist with conducting routine laboratory tests and experiments on mice under the supervision of lab staff. The incumbent will assist with preparing lab equipment and materials before experiments, assist with basic data collection and analyses and interpretation of experimental results, collaborate with other lab members, participate in lab meetings and discussions, assist in maintaining lab cleanliness and disposing hazardous materials and waste properly, and assist with other project and miscellaneous tasks as required.

• Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and two years of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in the natural, physical, or social sciences and one year of laboratory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

• Experienced and comfortable handling mice. Sensitivity to the needs of caged laboratory animals in compliance with AAALAC guidelines.

• Good communication skills required. Must be able to maintain confidentiality.

• General laboratory experience.

• Proven ability to work under own initiative as well as to work meticulously under close direction.

• Proficiency in MS Office. Ability to run updates, install a variety of different software platforms, and learn new programs/applications with minimal direction.

• Ability to run updates and install a variety of different software platforms with minimal supervision (Systat, Sigmaplot, SPSS, End Note, BMDP, Adobe, Mozilla, etc.).

• Ability to resolve computer equipment malfunctions.

• Ability to maintain lab equipment by performing the set-up, operation, test, calibration, and cleaning of equipment.

• Experience in assisting with caring for mouse colonies through animal husbandry to support all laboratory research.

• Familiarity with rodent behavioral training and testing (e.g. operant / instrumental behavior).

• Ability to assist with reagent preparation, autoclaving, ordering lab supplies.

• Proven ability to assist in the proper disposal of hazardous materials and waste.

• Knowledge of brain anatomy, neural circuit function, neurobiology, animal learning and behavior.

• At least one year of lab research experience in Neuroscience (psychology, biology, or related).

• Experience with coding for data analysis (e.g., python, matlab, R, or similar) and basic statistical knowledge. Proven ability to read basic graphs and interpret and analyze data.

• Experience performing routine histology on brain tissue samples, assisting with rodent behavioral training, recordings, and stereotaxic brain surgery.

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check.

• Must be willing to handle mice.

• Must be willing and able to work in an animal research work environment.

• Must be punctual with the ability to maintain regular hours, with the flexibility and willingness to work brief periods on weekends as needed (e.g., for post-operative monitoring, weighing and feeding animals on restriction for ongoing experiments).