Job Description

About Meridial

Meridial is a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) with a mission to bring connectomics into the living brain. We are building a platform for longitudinal, synapse-resolution mapping of functional neural circuitry in preclinical models. Our aim is to deploy this platform for translational projects and improve drug development outcomes for disorders of the central nervous system.

Meridial is a new not-for-profit FRO in the Convergent Research Ecosystem and funded by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

About the role

Meridial is seeking a Scientist – In Vivo Neuroscience to play a central role in establishing and running our in vivo experiments.

This is a hands-on scientific role focused on the development and execution of advanced in vivo neuroscience experiments. You will perform complex neurosurgery, longitudinal two-photon imaging and optogenetic experiments in mice, and develop new approaches as part of Meridial’s programme to create advanced 3D imaging and photostimulation technologies for functional mapping of neural circuits. We are looking for an exceptional experimentalist who combines substantial practical expertise with scientific independence. We would also welcome candidates who combine these experimental skills with substantial expertise in neural data analysis.

You will report to the Director of Experimental Research and work closely with them to build the lab. You will play a central role in establishing our core surgical, imaging and optogenetic protocols and the quality standards that underpin them. As the team grows over the coming year, you will train and mentor other scientists, guide their day-to-day experimental work and help shape how the team works together. You will also work closely with engineers and computational researchers across Meridial.

Key Responsibilities

Essential Qualifications and Experience

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Physical Demands

The Person We Are Looking For

You are an experimental scientist who enjoys solving difficult technical and biological problems and holds yourself to the highest standards of surgical and experimental quality. You are comfortable taking ownership of an experimental challenge. That means understanding why a preparation or measurement needs improving, developing a strategy to address it, testing alternatives systematically and turning the solution into a reliable method that others can use.

Joining at a formative stage, you will enjoy building, and you will be comfortable with the ambiguity of an early-stage organisation. You will have considerable autonomy and will be expected to bring both scientific judgement and ideas about how Meridial’s experimental platform should evolve. You will also enjoy working closely with engineers and computational researchers and sharing expertise across disciplines. If your strengths extend into quantitative or computational methods, these would be a valuable addition to the role.

Position Type / Schedule

• Start date: January 2027 or later.
• Full-time, 37.5 hours/week.
• Laboratory based in London, with an on-site presence of 4–5 days per week due to the experimental nature of the role.
• Longitudinal experiments and post-operative animal care will at times require work outside normal hours, including occasional weekends. This will be planned in advance and shared across the team as it grows.

Additional Information

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law or company policy. We strive for a diverse, healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.