New opportunity

Research Assistant (OR/NBD/JN1)

Duke-NUS Medical School · Singapore

About this role

The Signature Research Programme in Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders at Duke-NUS Medical School is seeking a Research Assistant to join the laboratory of Dr. Jun Nishiyama. The lab focuses on synaptic function and dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease using advanced molecular, optical, and transcriptomic approaches. Responsibilities: The successful candidate will support research projects through either bioinformatics analysis or mouse behavioural experiments. Bioinformatics tasks include processing bulk and single-cell RNA-seq data, performing differential expression and clustering analysis, and integrating human genetic and imaging data. Behavioural experiment tasks include conducting test batteries for neuropsychiatric phenotypes, performing stereotaxic AAV injections, fiber photometry, and automated tracking using tools like DeepLabCut. Additional duties include laboratory operations, animal colony maintenance, and general wet-lab molecular biology experiments. Requirements: Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Biological Science, Neuroscience, Bioinformatics, or a related field, with at least 1 year of research experience. Applicants must demonstrate hands-on experience in either RNA-seq/single-cell analysis using R/Python in a Linux/HPC environment or independent design and execution of rodent behavioural experiments. Strong interpersonal, communication, and documentation skills are required, along with a willingness to support general lab administration and animal research. Preferred qualifications include prior experience in stereotaxic surgery, fiber photometry, or pose estimation software like DeepLabCut.

For full details about this role, click “Apply on company site” to view the employer’s original posting.

Skills for this role

BioinformaticsRNA-seqSingle-cell RNA-seqRPythonLinuxHPCSTARSalmonDESeq2rMATSSeuratScanpyGitDeepLabCutMolecular BiologyNeuroscienceStereotaxic SurgeryFiber Photometry

Checking your profile…

Preparation suggestions, not the employer’s actual interview questions. Always check the original posting for current requirements.

Understand the role

What matters most

Specialized Technical Execution
The role requires immediate, high-level proficiency in one of two distinct tracks: bioinformatics (RNA-seq/single-cell analysis in Linux/HPC environments) or rodent behavioral neuroscience (stereotaxic surgery, fiber photometry, and automated tracking). Success depends on demonstrating independent capability in these specific workflows from day one.
Laboratory Operations and Compliance
Beyond primary research tasks, the candidate must actively manage lab infrastructure, including inventory tracking, reagent preparation, and strict adherence to institutional animal ethics and safety protocols. Maintaining accurate, reproducible documentation is a core requirement for all experimental data.
Collaborative Research Support
The position necessitates a willingness to bridge gaps between specialized tracks, supporting general wet-lab molecular biology tasks (e.g., PCR, western blotting, cell culture) and mouse colony maintenance. The ability to work as a team player in a multidisciplinary environment is essential for the lab's overall research output.

Likely challenges to think through

Balancing Specialized Research with General Lab Duties
The challenge lies in managing the high cognitive load of complex bioinformatics pipelines or delicate surgical procedures while simultaneously handling routine administrative and housekeeping tasks. Prepare by demonstrating your ability to prioritize time-sensitive experimental work alongside ongoing lab maintenance responsibilities.
Integration of Diverse Data Modalities
The lab aims to integrate transcriptomic data with human genetic and imaging findings, which requires high technical rigor and reproducibility. Prepare by discussing your experience with version control (Git) and reproducible workflows to ensure data integrity across different experimental stages.

Practice your answers

Technical practice

RNA-seq Data Processing Pipeline

What to coverExplain the typical workflow for processing bulk RNA-seq data from raw reads to differential expression. Discuss the role of tools like STAR or Salmon for alignment and quantification, and how DESeq2 is utilized to identify statistically significant changes in gene expression.

Single-cell RNA-seq Analysis Workflow

What to coverDescribe the key steps in analyzing single-cell or single-nucleus RNA-seq data, specifically focusing on clustering and cell-type annotation. Mention how libraries like Seurat or Scanpy are used to handle high-dimensional data and identify distinct cell populations.

Reproducible Research in Bioinformatics

What to coverDiscuss the importance of using version control systems like Git and working within an HPC environment for bioinformatics projects. Explain how these practices ensure reproducibility when integrating multi-omic or human genetic data.

Rodent Behavioural Test Batteries

What to coverDescribe the design considerations for conducting behavioural test batteries to assess neuropsychiatric phenotypes in mice. Address how to minimize bias through blinded, randomized designs and the importance of consistent environmental controls.

Automated Behavioural Tracking

What to coverExplain the application of pose estimation software like DeepLabCut in analyzing rodent behaviour. Discuss the trade-offs between manual scoring and automated tracking, and how to ensure the accuracy of the training data.

Stereotaxic Surgery and Fiber Photometry

What to coverOutline the technical requirements for performing stereotaxic AAV injections and fiber photometry recordings in mice. Focus on the precision required for targeting specific brain regions and the challenges of maintaining signal quality during live recordings.

Molecular Biology Fundamentals

What to coverDescribe your experience with standard molecular biology techniques such as PCR, western blotting, or cell culture. Explain how these techniques support the broader goals of investigating synaptic function in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Alternative Splicing Analysis

What to coverExplain the methodology for detecting alternative splicing events using tools like rMATS. Discuss why identifying splicing variations is critical when studying the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders.

Behavioural practice

Managing Conflicting Lab Priorities

What to coverDescribe a situation where you had to balance multiple research tasks, such as animal colony maintenance and data analysis. Explain how you prioritized your workload to meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of documentation.

Collaborative Problem Solving

What to coverProvide an example of a time you worked in a team to troubleshoot a technical issue in a research project. Focus on how you communicated your findings and contributed to a collective solution.

Adaptability to New Techniques

What to coverDiscuss a time when you had to learn a complex new laboratory technique or software tool quickly. Detail the steps you took to master the skill and how you ensured your application of the technique was accurate.

Attention to Detail in Documentation

What to coverDescribe a scenario where meticulous record-keeping or data management was critical to the success of an experiment. Explain how you ensure accuracy when handling large datasets or sensitive animal research protocols.

Sharpen your knowledge

Topics to prepare

Neuropsychiatric Disease Mechanisms
Review the molecular and synaptic basis of autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise: Summarize how synaptic dysfunction in these specific disorders is currently modeled in mouse systems to demonstrate alignment with the lab's research focus.
Transcriptomic Data Analysis Pipelines
Understand the end-to-end workflow for bulk and single-cell RNA-seq. Exercise: Outline the steps from raw FASTQ processing using STAR/Salmon to downstream differential expression with DESeq2 or clustering with Seurat/Scanpy to show technical readiness for the bioinformatics track.
Rodent Behavioural Phenotyping
Study standard behavioural test batteries for neuropsychiatric models. Exercise: Describe the experimental design for a social interaction or fear conditioning test, emphasizing the importance of blinded, randomized protocols as requested in the job description.

Skills to revise

HPC and Linux Workflow Management
Demonstrate proficiency in command-line operations and version control. Exercise: Practice writing a shell script to automate a basic bioinformatics task and manage the workflow using Git to ensure reproducibility in a high-performance computing environment.
Automated Behavioural Tracking
Gain familiarity with pose estimation software. Exercise: Review the documentation for DeepLabCut to understand how to define body parts and train a model for tracking mouse movement, which is a preferred qualification for the behavioural track.
Stereotaxic Surgery and Fiber Photometry
Understand the technical requirements for in vivo neural recording. Exercise: Research the surgical coordinates and viral injection procedures for AAV delivery, and explain the principles of fiber photometry for monitoring real-time neural activity.

Your preparation checklist

Prepare a technical portfolio for your chosen track
If choosing bioinformatics, compile code snippets or GitHub repositories demonstrating RNA-seq pipelines (STAR/Salmon, DESeq2) or single-cell workflows (Seurat/Scanpy). If choosing behavioral, prepare a summary of past rodent studies, highlighting your experience with specific test batteries, stereotaxic surgery, or DeepLabCut tracking.
Review the Nishiyama Lab research focus
Study recent publications from Dr. Jun Nishiyama's lab to understand their specific approach to synaptic function in autism, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. Prepare to discuss how your technical skills in either transcriptomics or behavioral neuroscience align with their current research goals.
Draft a summary of your wet-lab and administrative experience
Prepare concrete examples of your experience with molecular biology techniques like PCR, Western blotting, or cell culture. Additionally, be ready to describe your approach to lab management, such as inventory tracking, protocol documentation, and maintaining animal colonies.
Formulate questions for the interview panel
Prepare thoughtful questions regarding the lab's current data integration workflows, the balance between bioinformatics/behavioral tasks and general lab maintenance, and how the team handles collaborative documentation and reproducibility.

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