Histopathology Specialist
About Paradromics
Brain-related illness is one of the last great frontiers in medicine, not because the brain is unknowable, but because it has been inaccessible. Paradromics is building a brain-computer interface (BCI) platform that records brain activity at the highest possible resolution: the individual neuron. AI algorithms then decode this massive amount of brain-data, enabling the seamless translation of thought into treatments.
Our first clinical application, the Connexus® BCI, will help people who are unable to speak, due to ALS, spinal cord injuries and stroke, to communicate independently through digital devices. However, the capabilities of our BCI platform go far beyond our first application. With the brain in direct communication with digital devices, we can leverage technology to transform how we treat conditions ranging from sensory and motor deficits to untreatable mental illness.
The Role
Paradromics is seeking an experienced Histopathology Specialist to join our Neuroscience team in Austin, TX. Reporting to the Head of Neuroscience, this role will help establish and operate our core histopathology laboratory. The successful candidate will serve as the in-house subject matter expert for histopathology evaluation processes, independently executing the full workflow from tissue collection through analysis. Over the next 12–18 months, this role will be critical in generating high-quality histopathology data to evaluate implant in vivo performance in preclinical studies and support scientific, regulatory, and quality documentation.
This is an individual contributor (IC) role with a strong emphasis on ownership, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration.
Responsibilities
- Establish and operate a core histopathology laboratory to support preclinical in vivo implant studies.
- Independently execute the full histopathology workflow, including animal perfusion, necropsy, tissue harvesting, trimming, embedding, sectioning, staining, imaging, and analysis.
- Perform standard histology and immunohistochemistry techniques to generate high-quality, reproducible tissue slides.
- Acquire high-quality digital images using brightfield, fluorescent, and confocal microscopy.
- Analyze and interpret histopathology data and translate findings into clear insights for R&D, scientific reporting, and regulatory and quality documentation.
- Collaborate closely with internal teams and external subject matter experts to ensure best practices and continuous improvement of histopathology processes.
- Support daily laboratory operations, including managing materials, supplies, and reagents, and maintaining inventory systems.
- Maintain thorough documentation of procedures and results in compliance with SOPs and study protocols.
- Contribute to presentations, reports, and technical documentation as needed.
Required Education
- Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or engineering discipline, or
- Associate’s degree with equivalent hands-on experience.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in a histopathology core laboratory.
- Expert-level experience performing histology and immunohistochemistry procedures, including tissue trimming, embedding, microtomy, and staining (e.g., H&E, GFAP, NeuN, IBA-1, FJB, LFB).
- Hands-on experience assisting with animal perfusion, necropsy, and tissue collection; experience with large animal models (e.g., non-human primates, ovine, swine) strongly preferred.
- Proficiency in operating brightfield, fluorescent, and confocal microscopes for high-quality image acquisition.
- Experience selecting, setting up, and maintaining equipment required for a histopathology laboratory.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to document work clearly and consistently.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 30% to support preclinical studies,including surgical procedures for device implantation, tissue collection and preparation for histopathology evaluation.
Preferred Qualifications (any of these are a bonus, none are required)
- Experience working in a GLP-certified laboratory or contract research organizations conducting neural implant tissue analysis ideally in large animal models such as non-human primates, ovine, and swine.
- Experience in tissue analysis and grading in accordance with relevant ISO standards.
- Experience in quantitative analysis of digital histology images, including image segmentation, feature extraction, and morphometric analysis.
- Experience in supporting cranial implantation surgeries (e.g., craniotomy, durotomy, implantation of electrode, optical fibers, or optical lens) ideally in large animal models such as non-human primates, ovine, and swine.
- Ability to contribute to presentations and create technical/scientific content for regulatory submissions, scientific presentations, and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
- Experience with histopathology of nervous system tissue, particularly samples of cerebral cortex, using cell-type specific stains and markers of health and disease.
- Experience with tissue clearing techniques such as CLARITY, iDISCO, CUBIC, and SHIELD including preparation, clearing, imaging, and analysis of cleared tissue samples.
Paradromics is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.