E11 Bio - Senior Research Associate - in vivo

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of all animal perfusions, including preparation of perfusates, execution of procedures, troubleshooting tissue-quality issues, and continuous improvement of fixation protocols.
• Execute and support in vivo surgical workflows, including stereotaxic and retro-orbital viral injections, post-operative monitoring, and animal welfare documentation.
• Apply scientific training  to monitor, control, and systematically optimize key in vivo and perfusion parameters for tissue labeling + preservation.
• Collaborate closely with experimental scientists to design, execute, and troubleshoot in vivo labeling experiments, contributing technical judgment and experimental insight.
• Perform routine animal health checks and husbandry tasks as needed, with attention to health or behavioral changes that may impact experimental outcomes.
• Maintain accurate experimental records, reproducible protocols, and operational readiness of perfusion and surgical equipment.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative lab culture and run small, focused experimental projects.

Required Qualifications

• Hands-on experience performing animal perfusions using PFA or related fixatives for neuroscience or brain tissue applications, with the ability to produce consistent, high-quality tissue.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn, independently own, and optimize complex biological workflows, including diagnosing and resolving tissue-quality or protocol failures.
• Experience with rodent handling, restraint, and basic health assessment in a research setting.
• Strong record of reliability, precision, and careful experimental documentation.
• Clear communication skills and a proven ability to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary research teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Mechanical or technical aptitude for maintaining, adjusting, or troubleshooting perfusion rigs, surgical setups, and related laboratory hardware.
• Experience with in vivo surgical techniques such as stereotaxic or retro-orbital viral injections (or strong interest and aptitude to train into these methods).
• Familiarity with downstream histology, imaging, or molecular tissue workflows.
• Interest in neuroscience and connectomics, with motivation to contribute to technically demanding, high-impact research.

In the first 3 months…

• By 1 month: You will have taken on core colony management at E11 (breeding, weaning, genotyping workflows, health checks, record keeping), completed training in stereotaxic and retro-orbital injections, and be learning and performing perfusions at our baseline quality level under supervision.
• After 2 months:You will be independently performing perfusions and generating consistent, high-quality tissue. You will be running routine surgeries with good survival and recovery, and managing the colony reliably end-to-end.
• After 3 months:You will be piloting controlled perturbations to the perfusion workflow—adjusting pressure, flow, temperature, perfusate composition, cannula/needle configurations—and documenting QC outcomes to improve ultrastructure, RNA retention, and protein preservation.
• After 1 year:You will own and direct execution and scheduling of perfusions at E11. You will be routinely producing well QCed tissue .

We offer:

• An opportunity to help change the world and work with some of the most talented and collaborative experts across scientific fields.
• An opportunity to gain experience on a field-defining moonshot effort.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance through a PPO plan; parental leave.
• Generous time off + paid holidays.
• 401K matching up to 6% of base salary
• Ample healthy and energizing food including daily lunches.
• Stipend for fitness and wellness activities.