Lead Scientist, Primate Whole-Brain Mapping & Atlas Development

About Astera

Astera is a private foundation on a mission to steer science and technology toward a better future. We believe the coming years will bring an era of unprecedented scientific and technological advancement as exponential progress in AI converges with central advances in other fields to accelerate innovation. This inflection point provides an unparalleled opportunity to fundamentally rethink the institutions, systems, and tools that drive progress. We have committed a $3.5B endowment to that work and fit the form of our support to the function it serves: grants, investments, and in-house research programs. We accept meaningful risk in the research we back and expect some of it to fail because transformative ideas are rarely the ones already proven. Our projects, and the foundation itself, operate like high-velocity startups, with a high performance bar and competitive compensation to match. We are searching for leaders who are compelled by the challenge of driving high-impact change in the way science is funded, conducted, and communicated. You can read more about our mission, vision, and programming at astera.org/vision.

Company Overview

Astera Neuro seeks to understand and engineer consciousness. We believe consciousness is the process by which the brain builds a coherent internal model of the world and the self. We aim to understand this model and to develop the technologies to write experience directly into the brain. By combining large-scale neural recording, causal perturbation, and brain-based AI, we seek to move neuroscience from observing correlates of experience to engineering it. The same tools carry direct therapeutic promise for neurological and psychiatric diseases that alter perception, thought, and sense of self. Because the science and tools required do not yet exist, we are assembling a founding team of neuroscientists, theorists, and engineers to create them. We do high-risk, high-reward science in a well-resourced, collaborative environment with competitive pay, and share everything openly under Astera's Open Science Policy.

Position Summary

We are seeking a scientific leader to spearhead an ambitious program to map the primate brain at high resolution and to integrate anatomy, connectivity, physiology, and computational modeling into a single, openly available atlas. The successful candidate will lead both internal efforts and external collaborations, working across the Astera Neuro team to build a resource that advances our understanding of brain structure and function. Animal wellbeing is foundational to this work, supported by dedicated veterinary and behavioral care staff and rigorous welfare standards.

What You’ll Do

• Build a high-resolution, whole-brain anatomical map of the primate brain.

• Chart the projectome, the brain’s long-range axonal connectivity, in coordination with contracted external partners.

• Build a unified, high-resolution anatomical and functional atlas, registering and integrating electrophysiology and imaging data alongside colleagues across the Astera Neuro team.

• Deliver an openly accessible release of the atlas, built with the software engineering team for the broader scientific community and the public.

• Develop anatomically grounded computational models of the brain, together with the NeuroAI team.

Who You Are

Required:

• PhD with 12+ years of experience in neuroscience, medical sciences, biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.

• Deep expertise in in vivo imaging of the primate brain, ideally including awake fMRI at high (sub-millimeter) spatial resolution.

• A strong record of independent research with major contributions to primate neuroimaging, systems neuroscience, or comparative brain mapping.

• Experience integrating multimodal data: registering functional imaging, electrophysiology, and anatomy into common, high-resolution reference frames.

• Familiarity with brain-wide connectivity, including functional and effective connectivity and circuit-tracing approaches relevant to charting the projectome.

• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including the development of novel analytical methods for comparative or large-scale neuroimaging.

• A commitment to open, reproducible science and to making tools, data, and atlases broadly available.

Preferred/Nice to Have:

• A record of pioneering or developing imaging technology, such as phased-array receive coils or emerging modalities like functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI).

• Expertise in causal, reversible perturbation methods in primates (optogenetics, microstimulation, or TMS) combined with imaging to probe effective connectivity.

• Experience with comparative human and primate imaging and cross-species homology mapping.

• Contributions to open, large-scale neuroscience infrastructure or shared data resources.

• Background in or close collaboration with computational modeling and NeuroAI efforts.

Additionally Expected at Senior / Principal Level

• Demonstrated leadership of large, multi-institution research programs or consortia, coordinating across internal teams and external partners and vendors.

• A track record of mentoring PhD students and postdoctoral researchers and shaping the research agenda of a team or center.

• Experience securing and managing substantial research funding, infrastructure, and operational logistics for large-scale data efforts.

Why Join Us

Lead an ambitious program to map the primate brain at high resolution and build a single, openly available atlas that unites anatomy, connectivity, physiology, and computational modeling. Join Astera Neuro to advance our understanding of brain structure and function.

Astera Neuro provides a comprehensive benefits package and total compensation that is competitive and commensurate with the level of experience and qualifications.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion!