---
title: 'Research Scientist / Engineer, Functional Ultrasound Imaging at Astera Institute'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-scientist-engineer-functional-ultrasound-imaging-astera-institute-7ph13xdsxg85'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Research Scientist / Engineer, Functional Ultrasound Imaging at Astera Institute

- **Company:** Astera Institute
- **Location:** Alameda, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/astera/3b33f0ff-719f-4dc3-9f1f-bd4b5317b0e9

## Job description

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

You will develop Astera Neuro's volumetric fUSI platform for primates, working across hardware, experimentation, and computational analysis. From implementing the imaging system and designing experiments to analyzing large-scale datasets and building functional brain atlases, you'll help create one of the world's most advanced platforms for mesoscale imaging of the primate brain.

You'll work alongside engineers, software developers, neuroscientists, veterinarians, and external collaborators in an interdisciplinary team focused on creating technologies that enable fundamentally new neuroscience. Animal wellbeing is foundational to this work, supported by dedicated veterinary and behavioral care staff and rigorous welfare standards.

## What You’ll Do

- Build, validate, and optimize a large-scale volumetric functional ultrasound imaging platform for awake, behaving primates.
- Design and execute multimodal neuroscience experiments combining fUSI with behavioral paradigms and complementary recording and perturbation techniques.
- Develop robust computational pipelines for image reconstruction, preprocessing, registration, quality control, statistical analysis, and visualization.
- Analyze large-scale functional imaging datasets using modern statistical and machine learning approaches.
- Register imaging data across sessions and animals to generate high-resolution anatomical and functional brain atlases.
- Integrate fUSI with electrophysiology and other neural recording and perturbation modalities to create comprehensive maps of brain function.
- Collaborate closely with engineers and software developers to continuously improve imaging hardware and acquisition software.
- Mentor research technicians, and at the senior or principal level, more junior scientists and engineers; contribute to hiring, onboarding, and lab culture.
- Publish scientific discoveries using Open Science and FAIR principles, and contribute to open datasets, software, and technical documentation.

## Who You Are

Required

- PhD with 4-12+ years of experience in neuroscience, bioengineering, physics, electrical engineering, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent demonstrated expertise will also be considered.
- Experience with in vivo functional ultrasound imaging, or with comparable high-resolution neuro imaging technologies.
- Experience designing and executing neuroscience experiments in primates, including awake macaque fMRI.
- Strong scientific programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB.
- Understanding of primate neuroanatomy, image registration, and atlas construction.
- Experience with image reconstruction and signal processing.
- Experience analyzing large-scale imaging, electrophysiology, or multimodal neuroscience datasets, including with machine learning or computational neuroscience methods.
- Ability to work at close quarters with software engineers, hardware engineers, and neuroscientists in a fast-moving, multi-team environment.
- Track record of mentorship and technical leadership.

## What We Value

- Conviction that the brain's internal model can be understood in full, and recognition that getting there requires a kind of science no single academic lab can do. We are betting on scale, on deep collaboration across science and engineering, and on open sharing of ideas and expertise in a full-stack environment.
- Appetite for building a capability that does not yet exist. You enjoy building new experimental systems as much as answering scientific questions, and you are comfortable moving between hardware, software, and data analysis.
- Willingness to be held to an engineering standard. Our decisive tests are write-in experiments: constructing a specific percept, thought, or internal state, not merely decoding one. What we cannot build, we do not understand.
- Comfort building on shared infrastructure rather than private projects. Recordings and perturbations will be registered onto a common whole-brain functional and anatomical atlas, and datasets are designed to stitch across sessions, animals, and paradigms.
- Commitment to open science. We will release tools, data, and methods, and we aim to create a new dynamic of rapid, open exchange in neuroscience.

## Why Join Us

We are seeking an exceptional Research Scientist or Research Engineer to lead the development of a next-generation functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) platform for whole-brain imaging in awake, behaving primates. This is an opportunity to build a unique experimental capability from the ground up and generate datasets that could redefine how large-scale neural activity is measured. If you enjoy designing sophisticated experimental systems, solving challenging technical problems, and combining engineering, neuroscience, and computation into a single platform, we'd love to hear from you.

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!

## About Astera Institute

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Astera Institute is a nonprofit organization that funds and conducts high-impact scientific research and engineering projects focused on neuroscience, artificial general intelligence (AGI), and open science to accelerate positive futures for humanity.
- **Entity Type**: Private nonprofit (501(c)(3) private foundation)
- **Headquarters**: Berkeley, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Jed McCaleb (also co-founder of Stellar Development Foundation and founder of Vast)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Research services, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, life sciences, grantmaking
- **Target customers**: Not applicable (nonprofit; serves the research community and the public through open science and foundational advances)
- **Mission / purpose**: Empower visionary, high-leverage science and technology projects with the capacity to create transformative progress for human civilization. Focus on areas like AGI, science, and climate that lack natural homes in the existing innovation ecosystem.

## Products & Services
Astera operates three main divisions (not commercial products):
- **Neuro & AGI**: Directed neuroscience and AI research effort to understand biological intelligence and engineer safe, successful general intelligence systems. [astera.org](https://astera.org/)
- **Radial**: Life sciences research division that funds and runs high-impact fundamental scientific challenges, testing new models for how science is conducted. [astera.org](https://astera.org/)
- **Foundation**: Centralized operational, financial support, and ecosystem-building for Neuro-AI, Science, and Strategic Investments. Also leads Residency and Fellowship programs. [astera.org](https://astera.org/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not applicable (nonprofit)
- **Key Metrics**: 
  - **Total assets** (2023): $2,003,858,714 [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/astera-institute,845162617/)
  - **Total expenses** (2023): $27,504,754 [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/astera-institute,845162617/)
  - **Investment income and dividends** (2023): $58,598,494 [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/astera-institute,845162617/)
  - **Headcount**: 55 employees (+63.4% YoY) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Funded primarily by founder Jed McCaleb (grants contributed $131M in 2022). Key leaders include Prachee Avasthi (Head of Open Science), Doris Tsao (Chief Scientist – Neuro), Seemay Chou (CEO – Radial), and Dileep George (Co-Founder, Neuro & AGI). [astera.org](https://astera.org/team/)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 63.4% employee growth year-over-year (55 people) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)
  - 23 active job postings (up 1050% YoY) [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)
  - LinkedIn followers grew 128.9% yearly [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)
  - Presence in Netherlands and United Kingdom [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique model**: Nonprofit foundation that internally incubates and directly funds high-risk, high-leverage research across neuroscience, AI, and life sciences — without the pressure of commercial returns.
- **Top-tier leadership**: Led by accomplished scientists (e.g., Doris Tsao, Dileep George) and experienced operators from organizations like Stellar, Google, and Arcadia Science. [astera.org](https://astera.org/team/)
- **Open science focus**: Strong commitment to open access research and new models for scientific collaboration, attracting talent who value transparency and impact.
- **Substantial capital base**: Over $2B in assets provides long-term runway for ambitious, multi-year projects.

## Strategic Focus
- Deepen understanding of biological intelligence through large-scale neural circuit analysis and causal manipulation (Neuro & AGI). [astera.org](https://astera.org/)
- Continue incubation of radical science projects via Radial, particularly in aging, biotech, and platforms. [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/astera-institute,845162617/)
- Expand the Residency and Fellowship programs to attract diverse scientific and engineering talent. [astera.org](https://astera.org/)
- Scale operations and hiring: current job postings span roles from vivarium operations manager to research scientists in energy-based models and distributed simulation systems. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/astera)

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Directly contribute to foundational research that could reshape humanity’s future with AGI and novel science.
- **Benefits**: Full-time W2 employees receive top-tier medical/dental/vision insurance, 403(b) retirement plans, long-term disability plan, health/dependent-care FSAs, and commuter pre-tax accounts. [astera.org](https://astera.org/careers/)
- **Culture**: Described as an equal opportunity employer committed to equity and inclusion, encouraging diverse applicants. Emphasis on open science, experimentation, and high-leverage impact. [astera.org](https://astera.org/careers/)
- **Work setup**: Headquarters in Berkeley, CA; also has staff in the Netherlands and UK. Specific remote/hybrid policy not disclosed but multiple job postings suggest flexible arrangements.
- **Team composition**: Highly technical and research-oriented (21 researchers, 10 technical staff, 6 medical). Staff previously from Google, Stanford, UCSF, Arcadia Science, Relay Therapeutics. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute)
- **Rapid growth**: 63% YoY headcount increase and 1050% growth in job postings signal an expanding organization with ample career opportunities.

## Sources
1. [astera.org](https://astera.org/) – Homepage and division descriptions
2. [astera.org](https://astera.org/team/) – Leadership team details
3. [astera.org](https://astera.org/careers/) – Benefits and culture
4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/astera-institute) – Company page with headcount, growth, job postings, and talent sources
5. [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/astera-institute,845162617/) – Financials (990-PF: revenues, expenses, assets, program areas)
6. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/astera) – Active open positions list

## Other roles at Astera Institute

- [Open Science Data Steward](https://feeny.ai/job/open-science-data-steward-astera-institute-emeryville-an38zx6jn5yj) — Emeryville, CA
- [Open Science Policy and Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/open-science-policy-and-operations-manager-astera-institute-emeryville-e9favr4btbyy) — Emeryville, CA
- [Probe Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/probe-engineer-astera-institute-alameda-v8cj3qr564xq) — Alameda, CA
- [Scientific Writer, Life Science (Radial)](https://feeny.ai/job/scientific-writer-life-science-radial-astera-institute-emeryville-fs8456g7v3fx) — Emeryville, CA
- [Principal AI Scientist (Polytope Bio)](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-ai-scientist-polytope-bio-astera-institute-remote-5wqeq3z45wdk)
- [Senior Research Associate or Scientist 1 (Polytope Bio)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-or-scientist-1-polytope-bio-astera-institute-dcpccg9h5c24) — Emeryville, CA
- [Research Scientist, Multiregional Electrophysiology of Rodent Cognition](https://feeny.ai/job/research-scientist-multiregional-electrophysiology-of-rodent-cognition-astera-cqc9p1d3hhvq) — Alameda, CA
- [Research Scientist/Engineer, Deep Brain Two Photon Imaging and Optogenetics](https://feeny.ai/job/research-scientist-engineer-deep-brain-two-photon-imaging-and-optogenetics-67dzysn3hyam) — Alameda, CA
- [Lead Scientist, Primate Whole-Brain Mapping & Atlas Development](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-scientist-primate-whole-brain-mapping-atlas-development-astera-institute-cxkjfnk72fvb) — Alameda, CA
- [Research Scientist, All-Optical Investigation of Rodent Cognition](https://feeny.ai/job/research-scientist-all-optical-investigation-of-rodent-cognition-astera-6mt4g8pwc4hn) — Alameda, CA