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Research Staff Assistant

Zuckerman Institute

Research Staff Assistant

  • 555536
  • Manhattanville
  • Zuckerman Institute
  • Full Time
  • Opening on: Feb 18 2026
  • Grade R5
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  • Job Type: Support Staff - Non-Union
  • Bargaining Unit:
  • Regular/Temporary: Regular
  • End Date if Temporary:
  • Hours Per Week: 35
  • Standard Work Schedule:
  • Building: Jerome L. Greene Science Center
  • Salary Range: $46,350 - $66,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
 

Position Summary

Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute unites world-class scientists across diverse academic disciplines to conduct groundbreaking research that transforms our understanding of the brain and its influence on the mind and behavior.

As a leading neuroscience institute, our mission is to decipher the mind and brain to better understand behavior. Our researchers are committed to foundational science, uncovering the principles that shape how the brain develops, functions, and recovers.

With more than 50 labs, the Zuckerman Institute serves as a hub for collaboration, bringing together Columbia’s top scholars to drive research in bold new directions. Located in Manhattanville, our state-of-the-art Jerome L. Greene Science Center provides an inspiring home for discovery in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

The laboratory of Dr. Daniel Salzman in the Department of Neuroscience has an open position for a highly motivated Research Staff Assistant to gain proficiency in a dynamic, collaborative research environment, assisting in investigating the neuronal circuits that process aversive and appetitive experiences in rodents.

This is a full-time grant funded role.


Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Under the direction of the PI, perform tasks with rodents and/or non-human primates.
  • Under the direction of the PI, perform whole-brain histology, handle rodents and/or non-human primates for behavioral task performance.
  • Use software applications to process data sets.
  • Perform general lab management duties, including animal husbandry, ordering supplies, sustaining inventories and maintenance of instruments, assisting with administrative and documentation tasks relates to experiments.

Minimum Qualifications

  • A bachelor's degree in neuroscience, biology, or other related area of science or engineering is required.  
  • The willingness and ability to learn specific techniques for performing tasks is required.

Preferred Qualifications

  • The ideal candidate must possess strong organizational skills, keep excellent notes, show sound judgment, and have a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation as well as the ability to work independently within a diverse and dynamic team environment.
  • Prior experience in rodent wet labs, rodent handling and rodent surgery is desirable but not required.
  • Prior experience performing tissue histology and antibody staining is desirable but not required.
  • Prior Experience with ImageJ, Matlab, R-Studio, Arduino, and Python, with programming experience in any and all of above is desirable but not required.

 


Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.