Postdoctoral Researcher

Contact Information

Christopher Organ

Assistant Professor, Montana State University

Email: organ

Announcement Number: STAFF - VA - 26316

Position Number: 4C1090

Classification

Title:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Working Title:

Postdoctoral Researcher

Appointment Type:
Professional Contract

Term:
Fiscal Year Semester / Term

Salary: $55,000 - $60,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Join an innovative NIH‑funded research team seeking to bridge critical knowledge gaps in neuroskeletal biology by investigating bone innervation across diverse vertebrate lineages. You will lead experiments using immunohistochemistry, imaging, and AI‑driven image analysis within a phylogenetic comparative framework. By uncovering evolutionary patterns of constraint and innovation in bone innervation, your work will provide foundational insights into skeletal health and disease relevant to medicine, evolutionary biology, and paleontology.

The Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University is a research‑active unit within the College of Letters & Science that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees spanning geography, geology, and paleontology. Research in the Deep Time Biology Lab, led by PI Chris Organ, focuses on macroevolution by integrating paleontological and genotypic/molecular data. Co‑PI Dana Rashid’s research (Dept of Microbiology and Cell Biology) focuses on the developmental patterning of the vertebrate skeleton.

This project involves a collaborative partnership with Erica Scheller (Washington University), whose work focuses on relationships between the nervous system and the skeleton. We maintain a close partnership with the Museum of the Rockies (MOR), a world‑class institution and official repository for state and federal fossils. Together, these programs provide a unique interdisciplinary environment that combines field‑based discovery with sophisticated laboratory analysis and data science.

• Deep Time Biology Lab
• The Neuroskeletal Biology Laboratory at Washington University
• MSU Department of Earth Sciences
• MSU Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology
• Museum of the Rockies Paleontology Team

• Lead comparative sampling of bone from domestic sheep, domestic chicken, and African clawed frogs to characterize nerve fiber distribution.
• Perform histology using silver staining techniques and SYTOX green staining to visualize neural elements and blood cells within bone sections.
• Conduct immunohistochemistry and adapt/optimize multiple antibody stains for use on non‑traditional model species such as avian and amphibian sections.
• Manage high‑resolution imaging, performing light and fluorescent imaging across entire transverse bone sections, ensuring proper overlap for high‑quality image stitching.
• Execute data science workflows using Montana State University’s Tempest Supercomputer to process large imaging datasets and generate distribution heat maps.
• Collaborate across institutions, coordinating research efforts between the Organ, Rashid, and Scheller laboratories to ensure methodological consistency and project success.
• Analyze evolutionary patterns by applying comparative data science methods to integrate results across species and differentiate between conserved and adaptive neural and vascular traits.
• Manage project timeline, overseeing the transition of research goals from the pilot phase into the expanded major research project framework.
• Disseminate findings by leading the preparation of manuscripts for high‑impact journals and presenting findings at relevant biomedical and evolutionary biology conferences.

• A Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Evolutionary Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field with a demonstrated focus on comparative anatomy or neurobiology.
• Proven experience in advanced histological techniques, specifically immunohistochemistry (IHC) and confocal microscopy, evidenced by previous research or publications.
• Demonstrated knowledge or expertise in broad‑based comparative/phylogenetic vertebrate biology or paleontology.

• Profi…