Assistant/Associate Project Scientist - Behavioral Neurophysiology - Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute

Salary range:
The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-july-2025-scales/t37-b.pdf. A reasonable full-time estimate for this position is $76,700 - $97,700

Percent time:
100%

Anticipated start:
Winter 2026

Position duration:
One year with the possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley seeks applications for an Assistant/Associate Project Scientist in the Foster Lab, in the area of the behavioral neurophysiology of the hippocampal formation.

The applicant will work on an ongoing project, following up the specific hypothesis that was first published earlier this year in the journal Science, that hippocampal replay is governed by continuous attractor dynamics. We are interested in determining how hippocampal replays adapt to successive goals, and whether and how the continuous attractor framework can explain these adaptations

The position involves recording and analyzing behavioral neurophysiology data, and creating and developing and testing new hypotheses to explain the data.

The specific duties may include and are not limited to the following:

• experimental design
• behavioral training of animal subjects
• design and build of the electrophysiological implants
• surgery
• recording and testing of subjects
• histology
• data curation
• analysis of data
• creating and testing of new hypotheses
• presentation of data at scientific meetings
• writing of data for publication and completing the review process

The position may also involve lab duties, including helping with protocols, inspections, safety and other aspects of lab management.

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

PhD (or equivalent international degree)

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

At least three years post-PhD research experience in a relevant area

Preferred qualifications

• PhD in Neurobiology
• Strong publication record in the top most peer reviewed journals in the fields of awake hippocampal replay and in the application of computational models of dynamical attractors to hippocampal replay data
• Experience in hippocampal replay experimental design, animal training, surgery, conduct of hippocampal replay experiments, histology and analysis of data from hippocampal replay experiments in rats
• Experience in testing awake hippocampal replay phenomena in linear tracks, open fields and in open field spatial memory tasks incorporating barriers
• Experience in the use of optogenetics and DREADD technologies, particularly as related to the hippocampus and/or entorhinal cortex
• Experience recording and manipulating neural activity in the entorhinal cortex of rats

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Apply link:
https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05230

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Unless stated otherwise, unambiguously, in the position description, this position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

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• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
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