Postdoctoral Researcher – Circuit Neuroscience

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We are seeking a motivated and creative postdoctoral researcher with a background in circuit neuroscience or systems neuroscience to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity for neuroscientists with expertise in functional circuit imaging/manipulation who want to connect circuit function with synapse-level neuronal connectivity.

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Responsibilities​​

• Design and conduct mouse experiments using viral approaches, optogenetics, and/or chemogenetics to test hypotheses about circuit function.

• Apply multimodal imaging platforms to acquire datasets for connectomic reconstructions from selected brain regions.

• Collaborate with a computational team to curate multimodal datasets, proofread neuronal reconstructions, extract circuit maps, and perform quantitative connectivity analysis.

• Lead research projects, prepare manuscripts, present findings at scientific meetings, and contribute to grant proposals and progress reports.

• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in experimental techniques and scientific reasoning.

Qualifications​

• Ph.D. in neuroscience, bioengineering, or a closely related field.

• Expertise in mouse stereotactic surgery and intracranial injections.

• Hands-on experience with molecular or viral approaches for circuit manipulation, such as optogenetics or chemogenetics.

• Experience designing, conducting, and interpreting mouse behavioral experiments.

• Experience with fluorescence microscopy or other imaging modalities (prior EM experience is not required).

• Evidence of scientific productivity, including publications or preprints.

• Strong communication skills and an interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary research.

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How to apply

Please send a CV, a brief statement describing your research experience and interests, and contact information for three references to xiaotang@illinois.edu, with the subject line “Circuit Neuroscience Postdoc.”

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About the Lu Lab

The Lu Lab develops innovative biochemical tools, advanced microscopy techniques, and computational methods to connect the molecular composition of brain tissue with the organization of neural circuits. We aim to understand how molecular and structural features support circuit function and how they change in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The lab is affiliated with UIUC's Department of Chemistry, Department of Bioengineering, and Neuroscience Program, providing a uniquely cross-disciplinary training environment. Our researched is supported by the NIH New Investigator Award, BRAIN Initiative, Beckman Young Investigator Award, and BBRF Young Investigator Grant.

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About UIUC

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the nation's premier public research universities — ranked among the top 50 globally by Times Higher Education. The Department of Chemistry has been a particularly fertile ground for scientific breakthroughs. It counts 12 Nobel Prize winners among its graduates, postdocs, and faculty — a legacy that spans disciplines and decades. Notable laureates with deep ties to the chemistry department include Paul Lauterbur, whose UIUC research on nuclear magnetic resonance contributed to the MRI technology that earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003; E.J. Corey, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1990 for his development of the theory and methodology of organic synthesis during his time on the Illinois faculty; and most recently, Omar Yaghi (Ph.D. '90), awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of metal-organic frameworks. UIUC is also home to the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, one of the country's foremost interdisciplinary research institutes, fostering collaboration across engineering, biology, neuroscience, and the physical sciences.