Principal Investigator (Lab): Jin-Moo Lee, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology
Reports To: Ryan Bowen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Job Status: Undergraduate research-for-credit building to full-time paid summer/gap year research technician
Description:
The Lee lab has a unique bench-to-bedside research pipeline aimed at translating novel, basic-science discoveries in stroke therapies to clinical settings to improve patient outcomes. This pipeline is bidirectional, using clinical findings to inform new strategies for basic research as well, making for a comprehensive approach to medical research.
The Lee lab is looking for a research technician who is currently a junior undergraduate student. This individual will help the Principal Investigator and the Assistant Professor with daily tasks necessary for the completion of experiments with the eventual goal of being able to aid in the conceptualization of experiments and communication of results in scientific communication. This position has the potential to involve clinical research and shadowing if the candidate excels, making it an outstanding opportunity for students interested in bolstering a resume for medical school.
Primary Responsibilities:
This individual will assist in completing experiments conceptualized by the Assistant Professor and the Principal Investigator. This will include performing animal care and surgery, imaging procedures, behavioral testing, immunohistochemistry, scientific communication, and potentially clinical research and shadowing.
Animal Care and Surgery
The candidate will help care for and prepare cohorts of mice involved in longitudinal stroke experiments. This will include:
• Genotyping mice for experimental use
• Assisting in planning the timing and execution of longitudinal experimental measurements
• Performing cranial windowing and stroke induction surgeries in mice
• Performing post-operative care and enrichment changes to mouse environments
Imaging Data Collection and Processing
The candidate will be tasked with performing imaging procedures on mice to collect longitudinal data showing changes in brain activity over time after treatments. This will entail:
• Acquiring data from mice on a custom, wide-field optical imaging system during wake and anesthetized states. Software used will consist of MATLAB and Andor Solis.
• Performing pre-processing on imaging data
• Monitoring mice during prolonged imaging runs to ensure safety
Behavioral Testing
The candidate will perform behavioral assessments and data analysis on mice. This will include opportunities for the candidate to improve upon past behavioral tests or find more accurate assays to test desired function.
Immunohistochemistry
The candidate will aid in completing immunohistological staining procedures, including:
• Performing staining techniques for many different markers (proteins) of cell type, structural plasticity, and injury
• Operating confocal and fluorescence microscopes to examine spatial distribution of markers of interest across the mouse brain
• Aiding in the quantification of marker-of-interest distribution using specialized imaging software
Scientific Communication
It is the hope that the candidate will be able to present either posters or short lectures pertaining to experiments that they have helped carry out. The candidate is also expected to be involved in the publishing of results in peer-reviewed journals.
Clinical Research and Shadowing
If initial promise is shown in the position, the candidate will have the opportunity to perform some clinical research and shadowing under Dr. Lee. Clinical research could include interacting with patients/research participants and/or involvement in human patient sample processing. Clinical shadowing would involve observation of clinical interactions with Dr. Lee.
Qualifications and Experience:
The ideal candidate for this position:
• Is currently a junior undergraduate student majoring in biomedical engineering, biology, neuroscience, or other pre-medical track coursework
• Is planning for a gap year in St. Louis between undergraduate and graduate school
• Demonstrates excellence in scholastic achievement
• Works well on a team
• Has experience handling animals
• Has a working knowledge of MATLAB
This position will commence at the beginning of the Spring 2026 semester. To apply, please send your resume along with a cover letter summarizing your interest and qualifications to Dr. Ryan Bowen, ryan.bowen@wustl.edu, by 5 pm on Friday, November 28, 2025. Applicants will be interviewed in a rolling fashion, and the position will be filled as soon as possible.
