At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.
We are seeking a highly motivated and technically skilled Associate Scientist to join our Neuroscience Discovery team. This role is central to advancing drug target identification and validation programs in CNS diseases — with a primary focus on psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and major depressive disorder.
The successful candidate will be an experienced, hands-on scientist capable of independently designing and executing rodent in vivo studies and quantitative immunohistochemistry workflows at high throughput. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team — but must be able to drive experiments forward with minimal supervision and take ownership of high-volume, multi-cohort study execution.
Key Responsibilities
In Vivo Rodent Studies (Required)
- Plan, execute, and manage rodent behavioral and pharmacological studies relevant to CNS disease models (e.g., addiction, schizophrenia, depression/anxiety)
- Perform or support stereotaxic surgeries including intracranial injections, cannulations, and viral vector delivery (AAV)
- Conduct tissue collection, necropsy, and biofluid sampling from in vivo studies
- Manage and execute high-volume, multi-cohort studies with rigorous attention to timelines, animal welfare, and data quality
- Operate independently within IACUC-approved protocols and proactively troubleshoot experimental issues
Immunohistochemistry & Imaging (Required)
- Independently execute quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) workflows on rodent and human postmortem brain tissue
- Perform high-throughput IHC across large cohorts with consistent, reproducible staining quality
- Operate fluorescence and confocal microscopy platforms and perform rigorous image acquisition
- Apply image analysis software (e.g., HALO, Imaris, ImageJ) for quantitative endpoint extraction
- Perform and/or support RNAscope in situ hybridization for gene expression studies
Molecular & Biochemical Assays
- Conduct standard molecular and biochemical assays including Western blot, ELISA, and qPCR
- Prepare tissue lysates, homogenates, and samples for downstream molecular analyses
- Maintain rigorous sample tracking and experimental documentation
Collaboration & Scientific Communication
- Partner closely with senior scientists and cross-functional colleagues to align on study design and experimental priorities
- Present experimental results at team meetings with clear, data-driven interpretation
- Contribute to research documentation including protocols, study reports, and internal presentations
- Support external academic collaborations and vendor interactions as needed
Basic Qualifications
- MS in Neuroscience, Biology, Pharmacology, or a closely related discipline. Phd candidates will not be considered at this time.
- 2–5 years of hands-on laboratory experience, with demonstrated expertise in both in vivo rodent work and immunohistochemistry
- Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.
Preferred Qualifications
- Proven ability to independently execute complex, multi-step experimental workflows
- Experience working with CNS disease models or CNS-relevant biological questions
- Experience with psychiatric or neurological disease models: substance use disorders (opioid, alcohol), schizophrenia, or depression/anxiety
- Hands-on experience with fiber optic implantation
- Experience with chemogenetic (DREADD) or optogenetic approaches
- Familiarity with synaptic biology, neuroimmune interactions, or complement-mediated mechanisms
- Experience with postmortem human brain tissue processing and staining
- Proficiency with HALO, Imaris, or similar image analysis platforms
- Track record of managing and executing high-throughput or high-volume experimental cohorts
- Strong organizational skills with experience maintaining detailed lab notebooks and experimental records in a regulated or GLP-adjacent environment
- Demonstrated ability to balance independent work with collaborative team science
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Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is
$65,250 - $169,400
Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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