The W.M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology welcomes Dr. Lucas to NC State.

Dr. Lucas welcomes Ara Wally to the lab. Ara is pursuing a major in Biology with a concentration in Human Biology. She is originally from the NY State area and her future goal is to become a pediatric neurology physician. Prior to joining Dr. Lucas’s lab, Ara worked as a lab assistant for the University of Washington and volunteered as a research assistant at the Nahmani lab investigating the localization and activity-dependence of presynaptic GRIP1 on excitatory terminals in the visual cortex. Ara joined the Lucas lab because she is passionate about understanding how mental illness varies based on biological sex differences. On her spare time Ara enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and volunteering as a pediatric bilingual navigator for UNC Hospitals and as a medical Spanish translator for a free clinic.

Postdoctoral Associate

We are seeking a postdoctoral associate to join our team in Summer or Fall 2018 to investigate how early-life experiences alter brain function and shape the ability to cope with stressful or traumatic events later in life. The successful candidate with lead a project assessing the causal relationship between puberty onset and inhibitory maturation in the basolateral amygdala, the emotional processing center of the brain, as well as how peri-puberty stress may affect this maturational process and lead to sex differences in susceptibility versus resilience to fear-, anxiety- and depression-related behaviors later in life. This interdisciplinary project will incorporate several cutting-edge techniques, including optogenetics, chemogenetics, and cell-specific transcriptional profiling, with whole-cell slice electrophysiology and behavioral analysis. Applicants for this position should have a doctoral degree in neuroscience or a related field. Expertise (or a strong desire to gain expertise) in slice electrophysiology is required. Interested candidates should send their current CV, names and contact information for 3 references, a one-page statement of interest, and a writing sample to elizabeth_lucas@ncsu.edu.

Graduate Student

The Lucas Lab will accept rotating graduate students beginning in Fall 2018. Students interested in joining the lab should apply to the Neurosciences concentration area of Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Information about the program can be found here: https://research.ncsu.edu/neurosciences/graduate-studies/. Students already at NC State interested in rotating in the lab should contact Dr. Lucas directly to set up a meeting.

Research Technician

A research technician position is immediately available in the Lucas Lab. The successful applicant will manage the daily operations of the lab and perform experiments. Lab management duties will include ordering supplies, maintaining the mouse colony, and ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and institutional policies. Meticulous record keeping and organizational skills is essential. Non-managerial duties will include planning, executing, and analyzing experiments for independent research projects as well as acting as laboratory support for other members of the lab, such as performing stereotaxic surgeries, gonadectomies, and estrus cycle monitoring. The research technician is expected to contribute to the intellectual growth of the lab by presenting data at lab meetings, reading scientific publications relevant to the lab’s research, and assisting in the preparation of manuscripts and conference presentations. A bachelor’s degree in neuroscience or related field and a 2-year commitment to the Lucas Lab are required. Previous research experience in a neuroscience laboratory is highly desirable.  Interested candidates should send their current CV, names and contact information for 3 references, and a one-page statement of interest to elizabeth_lucas@ncsu.edu.

Undergraduate Research Volunteers

NC State undergraduates wanting to gain hands-on research experience in the Lucas Lab are encouraged to apply for research volunteer positions. Undergraduates in the Lucas Lab will work closely with Dr. Lucas, a postdoctoral researcher, or a graduate student to complete independent research projects that contribute to the larger goals of the lab. Research volunteers will have the opportunity to learn techniques such as mouse behavior, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, and applied data analysis. Research volunteers are expected to attend and contribute to bimonthly lab meetings. Interested students should meet the following criteria before applying to work in the Lucas Lab: (1) Sophomore year or higher, (2) 3.3 GPA or higher, (3) willingness to commit at least 15 hours/week in the lab for at least two consecutive semesters, which may include volunteering on some nights and weekends, and (4) an understanding, respect, and acceptance of the use of live animals in research. Qualified students should submit a resume, unofficial transcript, brief statement of future career goals, and brief statement of their interest in the Lucas Lab to Dr. Lucas at elizabeth_lucas@ncsu.edu.