Neuroscience Lab Research Assistant Jobs in Madison, WI

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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Research Specialist
Job Summary:
We are seeking a Research Specialist to join our expanding team monitoring viruses in air and wastewater samples. The position involves primarily collecting air samples, extracting nucleic acids, and testing for viral pathogens. Similar processing of nasal swabs may also occur. Samples are collected at locations within the local community as well as at domestic and international partner sites that are building out their own air sampling programs. We have many ongoing projects, but our overarching goal is to use air sampling to provide better awareness of common and emerging respiratory illnesses in diverse types of congregate indoor spaces.
The successful candidate will work under the supervision of the principal investigators and senior lab scientists, alongside a team of undergraduate researchers and research specialists. In the laboratory, the person in this specific role will be responsible for receiving and processing samples that require immediate pathogen testing with point-of-care tools, followed by communicating the results to stakeholders. In addition, they will contribute to the larger team who process routine air samples and nasal swab samples for nucleic acid extraction. They may also perform multiplex PCR or metagenomics assays to determine which respiratory pathogens are present. They will also perform routine laboratory maintenance and quality control procedures to ensure data integrity and equipment functionality. These responsibilities require attention to detail and strict adherence to established protocols for sample handling and processing.
Beyond processing the immediate samples, they will contribute to the larger team who processes thousands of samples through multi-step workflows, help maintain timelines and deliverables for the program, analyze data, prepare results for publication and distribution to project partners, and maintain rigorous records and documentation. This role provides exposure to the full research pipeline, from sample collection through scientific publication, and the ideal candidate will thrive doing full-time work at the bench. Regular work with human clinical swab samples is possible. This is not a hybrid or remote position.

• This position requires work to be completed onsite, at a designated campus work location.
• Must provide a valid driver's license. Employees may use their own transportation or receive approval for University Car Fleet usage. Employment is conditional pending the results of a Pre-hire Driver Authorization Check. See https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-authorization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/#become-authorized-driver (click on "Become an authorized driver;" then click on "Required criteria").

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Operates, cleans, and maintains organization of research equipment and research area. Tracks inventory levels and places replenishment orders

• Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of unit or program staff and/or student workers

• Reviews, analyzes, and interprets data and/or documents results for presentations and/or reporting to internal and external audiences

• Performs literature reviews and writes reports

• Conducts research experiments according to established research protocols with moderate impact to the project(s). Collects data and monitors test results

• Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of research methodology and materials

• Optimize workflows to ensure rapid turnaround of air sampling data for sites requiring immediate feedback

• Support other lab projects, as needed

Department:
School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, O'Connor Lab
The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is dedicated to the highest quality patient care, cutting-edge and impactful research, and teaching the next generation of pathologists and scientists. We emphasize a healthy work-life balance and provide a supportive work environment committed to the growth and advancement of our members. Our vibrant clinical department integrates anatomic pathology, laboratory medicine, teaching, and a robust research enterprise, and serves the UW, American Family Children's, VA, and other Madison hospitals. Our basic science and translational research programs have made fundamental discoveries in cell and stem cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, and infectious disease. Opportunities in education include a T32-funded PhD graduate program, pathology resident and fellowship programs, and both medical school and undergraduate curricula.
Madison, often rated as one of the best places to live in America, is built on an isthmus, surrounded by lakes. The city, campus, green spaces and urban areas are blended to create a place unlike any other.
Compensation:

• The starting salary for the position is $63,697 annually; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage. SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026
Required Qualifications:

• Experience in designing and conducting experiments.
• Experience in data collection and analysis.
• Experience organizing large numbers of samples
• Experience with written and verbal scientific communication.

Education:
Bachelor's Degree preferred; focus in public health, immunology, microbiology, virology, or a related field is preferred.
How to Apply:
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To apply for this position, select either "I am a current employee" or "I am not a current employee" under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.
Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position.
• Cover letter required
• Resume required
We are specifically interested in what you have actually built, done, created, and contributed to. Generic descriptions of skills and interest in the position are less useful to us than concrete evidence of past work. In your cover letter or resume, please include whichever of the following apply to you:
Publications and preprints. Your ORCID ID or direct links to published papers, preprints, or manuscripts where you are a named author. If your contribution to a multi-author paper is not obvious from the author list, briefly describe your specific contributions.
Protocols. Links to protocols you have authored or contributed to on protocols.io or similar platforms, or a brief description of assays or workflows you developed or substantially optimized, with enough specificity that we can evaluate the work (e.g., target, platform, sample type, throughput).
Presentations. Titles, venues, and dates of conference posters or talks where you personally presented.
Throughput and scale. Please describe specific metrics from your previous work such as the number of samples you routinely processed per run, day, or week; the scale of extraction or assay batches you managed independently; the size of sample inventories you maintained.
Repositories and code. Links to your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket profiles, particularly repositories containing bioinformatics pipelines, data analysis scripts, or lab automation code you have written. We will look at commit history and contribution patterns in addition to READMEs.
Also, please include a benchwork narrative in your cover letter. In two to three paragraphs, describe a specific technical problem you encountered at the bench: what assay or protocol you were running, what went wrong, how you diagnosed the issue, and what you did to fix it. We are looking for the kind of concrete, firsthand detail that reflects your personal hands-on experience. Please include reagent and kit names, instrument models, the troubleshooting steps you tried, and what ultimately worked or what you learned. This is more valuable to us than a summary of your general skill set.
Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.
University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.
Contact Information:
Tia Seguin, tia.seguin@wisc.edu, 608-263-3731
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
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The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
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