Associate Research Scientist in the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute

Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute (the Zuckerman Institute) brings together researchers to explore aspects of mind and brain, through the exchange of ideas and active collaboration. The Zuckerman Institute’s is the Jerome L. Greene Science Center on Columbia’s new Manhattanville campus. Situated in the heart of Manhattan, at full capacity the Zuckerman Institute will house approximately 49 laboratories employing a broad range of interdisciplinary approaches to transform our understanding of the mind and brain. In this highly collaborative environment, labs work together to gain critical insights into human health by exploring how the brain develops, performs, endures and recovers from trauma or disease.
A lab within the Zuckerman Institute seeks an Associate Research Scientist to help facilitate the efficient operation of cryo-EM studies in the lab. The successful candidate will provide training and support to users of the center in sample preparation, microscope operation, high-throughput data acquisition, and data analysis. The position entails a specialized focus in establishing cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) workflows for recently acquired instrumentation for the Center, including an Aquilos cryo-Focused Ion Beam (cryo-FIB) milling system and a Titan Krios featuring Volta phase plates, and a Gatan BioQuantum energy filter / K3 direct electron detector. The specialist will also assist in the technical and administrative functions of the center, including scheduling, tracking use, and supply management.
Responsibilities include:

-Establishing protocols and training users in cryo-FIB milling utilizing the center’s Aquilos cryo-FIB instrument.

-Establishing protocols and training users in cryo-ET tilt series data acquisition utilizing the center’s Titan Krios system.

-Assisting users with image processing for tomographic reconstruction and subtomogram averaging.

-Supporting the center’s ongoing efforts in single-particle cryo-EM data acquisition and image processing.

- Providing administrative and logistical support of day-to-day operations, including session scheduling, usage tracking and reporting, and materials acquisition.
Minimum Qualifications
MD, PhD, or doctorate in related field

Additional Qualifications:
Doctorate degree in biological or physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, or related fields. Minimum of two (2) years training related to cryo-electron microscopy which includes prior experience with cryo-electron tomography data acquisition and analysis.

Preferred:
Prior experience in cryo-FIB milling and/or correlative light and electron microscopy. Strong candidates will be interested and focused on interdisciplinary work.

Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Prior experience in single particle cryo-EM data acquisition and analysis.