An NIH-funded full-time position for an Assistant or Associate Project Scientist is immediately available, Supervised by Dr. Daniel Geschwind in the Department of Neurology in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. We are looking for a motivated individual interested in working at the interface of genetics, single cell genomics, and disease modeling to investigate the mechanisms of disease genetics through single cell genomics of gene isoforms and neural stem cell modeling of human brain development.
Salary range is $74100 - $94200.

The Geschwind lab is located within the Gonda building and Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Human Genetics at UCLA. The Geschwind Lab focuses on experimental and developmental neurobiology, modeling of human cortical development using stem cells, and gene regulation and employs systems-level, computational, multi-omic approaches using human brain samples to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying genetic risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including autism. Our long-term goals are to translate genetic findings into practical therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disease.

A successful candidate will have the following qualifications:
• PhD in biological sciences and knowledge of autism genetics
• Expertise with 2D and 3D cortical organoid cell cultures
• Expertise in CRISPR editing technologies, including CRISPR-A guide design and viral delivery
• Expertise in tissue clearing techniques and light-sheet microscopy
• Experience in single cell and bulk RNA sequencing and analysis.
• Knowledge and background experience of working with ASD and ASD model systems.
• Ability to work independently within a collaborative multi-disciplinary team-based environment
• Motivation to learn and develop expertise in cutting-edge genome engineering and stem cell-based methodologies
• Strong oral and written communication skills to present and publish research findings
• Record of publication in this area.
• Track record training and mentoring junior scientists
• Proven success in grant writing

Experience with cell culture and neural stem cell models, functional genomics assays (e.g., scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq), and/or CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering are required. All backgrounds will be considered. The appointed researcher will be embedded within a highly interdisciplinary team of neural stem cell and developmental biologists, computational biologists, bioinformaticians, statistical geneticists, and clinicians. The successful candidate will help develop and implement high-throughput genome engineering and genomic assays in cortical organoid cultures established from patient stem cell lines. Training opportunities and mentorship in wet-lab stem cell modeling and dry-lab genomics techniques will be provided by the PI.

Please email a cover letter, CV, and 3 references to Geschwind lab

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