The Wyss Institute is seeking a behavioral neuroscientist to join a multi-institute scientific program focused on the development of novel anesthetics. Currently, no anesthetic compound can safely be used in the absence of strict vital sign monitoring and physiological maintenance. There is therefore an unmet need for anesthetics that can be used in situations where medical experts and sophisticated monitoring equipment are not available, such as on the battlefield, in the context of natural disasters, and in remote areas. Our goal is to develop a new class of drugs that can induce general anesthesia without compromising the patient’s vital functions and without requiring an anesthesiologist or life-support and monitoring equipment.

About us:

The Wyss Institute’s mission is to transform healthcare and the environment by emulating the way nature builds. We harness the imagination of academia and the focus of industry to translate ground-breaking technologies into commercial products that solve big problems. We support research that universities, companies, and venture capital firms don’t fund because they view it as too risky. We prefer to use the word “challenging,” and we love challenges. For more information discover our technologies, catch up on our recent news, or watch our latest videos.


About You:

You are a collaborative, impact-focused problem solver who wants to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to creating and commercializing novel approaches to global challenges in healthcare and sustainability. You want the opportunity to explore your scientific interests and apply your knowledge to tackle ambitious projects in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial-minded environment with resources and support from top-notch scientific, operations, and administrative professionals. You enjoy working with highly motivated, diverse teams and leveraging your expertise to create innovations that can change the world.


About the Role:

Reporting to the Senior Scientist I, you will support behavioral screening and characterization efforts for a multi-institute scientific program focused on the development of novel anesthetics. You will use existing experimental setups and develop new ones for measuring and quantifying key behavioral metrics that need to be met for achieving general anesthesia, using Xenopus tadpoles as a model. As a member of the Advanced Technology Team (ATT), you will be exposed to many different technologies ranging from therapeutics and diagnostics to synthetic biology and materials science to identify ambitious solutions to problems of global importance and turn these solutions into new products.

What you'll do:
Develop novel behavioral experimental setups for measuring sensory-evoked and spontaneous behaviors in freely swimming Xenopus tadpoles. Design and perform experiments to test the safety and efficacy of novel anesthetics.
Write code to analyze, interpret, and present data at internal and external meetings
Summarize findings and collaboratively assemble reports, publications, and applications for new projects.
Mentor lab colleagues, including research assistants, students, and postdocs.
Contribute to grant applications, publications, and patent applications.
Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness through actions, interactions, and communications with others.

What you'll need:
A Bachelor's degree in neuroscience, biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field required
A minimum of 4 years of experience in behavioral neuroscience. Advanced education may count towards years of experience.
Proficiency in programming in MATLAB and/or Python required

Desired Skills:
Full-time post graduate industry experience with a focus on product development is preferred.
M.S. or Ph.D. in Neuroscience or related fields is strongly preferred.
Experience with handling and working with small aquatic vertebrates such as Xenopus tadpoles or larval zebrafish.
Experience in designing behavioral assays for measuring spontaneous and sensory-evoked behaviors.
Experience developing software for analyzing video recordings and extracting information related to animals’ behavior relative to external stimuli and in the context of different treatments.
Experience with performing statistical data analysis.
Background in drug development and high-throughput screening assays.
Ability to work well independently and to collaborate with a multidisciplinary group (engineers, biologists, physiologists, clinicians).
Experience in the preparation of technical reports, journal articles, and presentations.
Experience in authoring and critically reviewing technical documents
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, documentation skills, and attention to detail.
Excellent organizational skills, technical writing, record keeping, ability to manage multiple projects, and ability to be nimble and work in a fast-paced environment are crucial.
The successful candidate will be an ambitious self-starter, have a strong work ethic, be able to generate high-quality work under tight deadlines, and enjoy working in a fast-paced team environment.