Assistant​/Associate Project Scientist - Behavioral Neurophysiology

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

Position Title:

Assistant Project Scientist, Associate Project Scientist

Salary: UC academic salary scales set minimum pay determined by rank and step rent salary range: $76,700 – $97,700.

Percent Time: 100%

Anticipated Start:
Winter 2026

Position Duration:
One year, with possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funding.

Open Date:
December 15, 2025

Next Review Date:
Monday, December 29, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final Date:
Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

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

The applicant will work on an ongoing project, following up the hypothesis first published earlier this year in Science: 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.

Responsibilities include recording and analyzing behavioral neurophysiology data, and creating, developing, and testing new hypotheses to explain the data.

Specific duties may include (but are not limited to):

• 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 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 peer‑reviewed journals in awake hippocampal replay and in the application of computational models of dynamical at tractors 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

Document Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter

Reference Requirements

• 3–5 references required (contact information only)

Apply link: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./JPF
05230

Help contact: davidfoster

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in its public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy APM 210 1‑d. The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

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