Senior Research Technician - Neurosurgery

Position Summary

Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery

The Friedman Lab is recruiting a Senior Research Technician to help launch a new program in human motor neurophysiology, adaptive deep brain stimulation, and brain“computer interfaces. This is a foundational hire: you will work directly with the PI (Dr. Gabriel Friedman) to build the lab’s intraoperative recording infrastructure, establish a prospective neurosurgical research registry, and run multi-modal neural and kinematic data collection in the OR and clinic. The lab launches in July 2026 and sits within WashU’s broader neuromodulation, neuro-engineering, and BCI ecosystem.

Performs independently complex research studies, experiments and assays.

The ideal candidate is technically curious, organized, comfortable in clinical environments, and excited to be on the ground floor of a research program that bridges neurosurgery, electrophysiology, and engineering.

About the Friedman Lab

The Friedman Lab studies how the motor system represents and transforms motor commands across the full neural hierarchy — from cortex through basal ganglia, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle — and uses those insights to build closed-loop neuromodulation systems and neural prostheses that restore movement. Our work spans adaptive deep brain stimulation, intraoperative human electrophysiology, neural decoding, and peripheral nerve interfaces, in close collaboration with WashU’s neurosurgery, neurology, biomedical engineering, and BCI communities.

We value rigor, curiosity, careful work, and a collaborative culture. We are committed to building a diverse team and to mentoring people at every career stage.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Coordinates and executes intraoperative human neurophysiology recordings during awake DBS, sEEG, and other stereotactic and functional neurosurgical procedures.
• Sets up, calibrates, and troubleshoots multi-modal data acquisition systems, including microelectrode recording, macroelectrode LFP, inertial motion capture, surface EMG, and force/grip transducers, with TTL synchronization across systems.
• Develops, deploys, and maintains intraoperative and clinic-based behavioral task paradigms.
• Builds and maintains a prospective intraoperative research registry, including data ingest pipelines, quality control, and structured storage following BIDS or comparable conventions.
• Coordinates IRB submissions and amendments, maintains regulatory documentation, and ensures protocol compliance across studies.
• Supports subject identification, scheduling, and consenting workflows in partnership with clinical and research teams.
• Works closely with OR staff, neurology and neurosurgery faculty, anesthesia, and external collaborators to integrate research procedures into clinical workflows safely and efficiently.
• Performs preliminary analysis and visualization of neural, kinematic, and behavioral data using Python and/or MATLAB.
• Assists with lab operations, including ordering, inventory, equipment maintenance, and safety compliance.
• Trains and supervises junior technicians, undergraduates, and rotating students as the lab grows.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

• Works in a laboratory environment with potential exposure to biological and chemical hazards.
• Must be physically able to wear protective equipment and to provide standard care to research subjects, including in the operating room.
• Some flexibility in schedule may be required to accommodate surgical case timing.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Laboratory Setting (1 Year)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage complex, multi-step protocols.
• Background in neuroscience, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with electrophysiology, signal processing, or neural data acquisition systems.
• Programming experience in Python and/or MATLAB, including data wrangling, signal processing, and figure generation.
• Experience with research hardware integration (DAQ systems, IMUs, EMG, motion capture, behavioral task hardware).
• Prior experience in clinical or human subjects research, particularly in operating room or peri-operative environments.
• Familiarity with version control (Git), reproducible analysis pipelines, and structured data standards (e.g., BIDS).
• Comfort coordinating across clinical, engineering, and research teams.
• Demonstrated interest in neuromodulation, brain“computer interfaces, or motor systems neuroscience.
• Reliable, conscientious, and detail-oriented, with a collaborative orientation.