From there, Schuman was recruited to join the faculty in the Division of Biology at the California Institute of Technology where she moved up the ranks from Assistant to Full Professor.

In 2009, she was recruited as the Director of Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, at which she holds her current position.

[5] In addition, Schuman and collaborators (Dave Tirrell, Caltech[6] and Daniela Dieterich, Magdeburg[7]) has made invaluable technical contributions, such as the development of non-canonical amino acid metabolic labelling, click chemistry, and mutation of cell-biological enzymes (the BONCAT and FUNCAT techniques), enabling the labelling, purification, identification and visualization of newly synthesized proteins in neurons and other cells.

[8][9][10][11] In addition to her research and professorship, Erin Schuman has been committed to promoting the professional advancement of women in the field of neuroscience.

She also spearheaded an initiative outlining changes in recruitment practices aimed at doubling the percentage of female directors in the Max Planck Society's Biology & Medicine Section to 20% by 2020.