Mindspan Institute

The Mindspan Institute is a new non-profit research institute in Cambridge, MA, aimed at building novel tools to analyze the human brain, and scaling them to study its molecules and wiring. We interpret how they contribute to brain functions and dysfunctions, and share our tools and discoveries as freely as possible, to advance human health.
Research Scientist, Expansion Microscopy Engineering
Mindspan Institute • Cambridge, MA (on-site) • Full-time
About The Mindspan Institute
The Mindspan Institute is a new non-profit research institute in Cambridge, MA, aimed at building novel tools to analyze the human brain, and scaling them to study its molecules and wiring. We interpret how they contribute to brain functions and dysfunctions, and share our tools and discoveries as freely as possible, to advance human health.
The role
This is an engineering-oriented science role, optimizing, validating, and applying the whole expansion microscopy pipeline: fixation, anchoring, gelation, softening, staining, imaging, and quality control. This job involves careful thinking about which parameters matter and why, meticulous execution, and sharp observation of results-and figuring out what those observations imply about a chemical step upstream, followed by inventing past the limits you find.
You report to the Head of Scalable Chemistry, and work, as needed, with other Mindspan teams-Optical Physiology, Microscopy and Optics, Automation and Industrialization, and Computation and Analysis-using logic and evidence to advance your work so as to boost the performance of all.
What you'll do
Fixation and tissue intake. You develop and standardize intake and fixation for brain tissues, and you characterize, and optimize, what each chemical condition does for downstream expansion microscopy performance. You work out parameters that produce samples the rest of the pipeline can handle, and you define what an acceptable incoming sample looks like.
Anchoring, gelation, softening, and staining. You optimize anchoring chemistry and gel formulation, and gelation and softening conditions. You measure these things quantitatively, and optimize these steps, as well as labeling and staining in the context of gel parameters.
Imaging. Working with our Microscopy team, you develop acquisition protocols, acquire images, and with our Computational team, you perform image processing and data interpretation. The resulting analyses serve as quality control metrics-helping optimize earlier steps, to give the desired outcomes.
Documentation and training. You keep protocol records that others can execute, with the reasoning behind each parameter. You collaborate with the Automation and Industrialization team to translate validated protocols into robotic execution, and contribute protocols and data to the open resources we train others on.
What we're looking for
You have a Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, materials science, bioengineering, biophysics, neuroscience, or a related field. You have a strong foundation in hydrogel and polymer network chemistry, protein chemistry, and a good intuition for the practical realities of reaction design, analysis, and interpretation.
It is essential that you have confocal imaging experience, experience immunostaining tissues, and an understanding of optics. Hands-on experience with expansion microscopy and light-sheet microscopy is a strong plus.
You are comfortable analyzing your own data computationally (Python, Fiji, etc., with AI-assisted coding) and building quantitative metrics for such analysis. You have a track record of independent method development where the benchmarking was as thoughtful as the invention.
You are quick and agile, yet able to focus; creative, yet disciplined. You have a strong detail orientation and exceptional organizational, planning, interpersonal, and communication skills. You are good at writing, can work independently and collaboratively, and can prioritize and multitask as needed. Self-motivation, commitment to high quality standards, and a service-oriented mindset are all key. You have good judgment-balancing flexibility and focus, action and planning, speed and thoughtfulness-as appropriate. You are open to giving and receiving feedback, constructively and thoughtfully, to advance scientific missions and personal growth.
This is an in-person job. Flexible hours may be required at times, since biology does not keep business hours.
Culture we're building
The disorders of the brain affect over 1,000,000,000 people around the world-Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke-and other conditions-none of which can be cured. We operate with a sense of urgency, even as we look to understand the brain at its most fundamental levels.
We are hypercollaborative, and focused on impact over short-term markers of productivity. Creativity and failure are the stepping stones to scale, and working together with "strong opinions, weakly held" is our style.
We solve real engineering problems the best way we can: inventing fast when we have to, and using good existing solutions where they exist. We believe hard problems only yield to many disciplines working together, so collaboration is required, not optional.
We expect people to explore the unknown, which means making mistakes daily, owning them, and learning from them to improve and excel.
We are recruiting a team of scientists and engineers who exemplify all these values.
What we offer
The chance to build amazing expansion pipelines alongside some of the most adventurous scientists in the field. You will get to contribute to addressing one of the most important unmet medical needs of our time, as part of the initial team. You will learn lots of things that probably cannot be learned any other way, as you solve problems, build, and work with others. As Mindspan grows, we expect this role to grow with it.
Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and family benefits, and a matching retirement contribution.
Competitive salary ($120,000-$159,000), depending on experience.
The Mindspan Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a collaborative and scientifically rigorous environment for everyone who works here.