School Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department/Area Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Position Description

We seek a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Stephanie E. Pierce Laboratory based in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. The Fellow will contribute to an NSF funded research project on the evolution of the mammalian forelimb. The primary aim of the research is to understand how shifts in forelimb morphology and posture during synapsid evolution contributed to the ecomorphological success of mammals. The Fellow will help to build and test 3D musculoskeletal models of various fossil synapsids to investigate functional changes related to the “sprawling-to-upright” paradigm shift. The Fellow may also be involved with collecting and analyzing geometric morphometric and phylogenetic data in collaboration with research partners.

Basic Qualifications

A successful applicant would have:

• Ph.D. in paleontology, vertebrate anatomy, functional morphology, evolutionary biomechanics or related fields
• A solid track record of scientific publications and international conference presentations
• One or more of the following skills set: CT scanning, 3D anatomical modeling, geometric morphometrics, finite element analysis, musculoskeletal modeling, in vivo/ex vivo animal experimentation, biomechanical analysis, comparative phylogenetics

Additional Qualifications

Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

1. Cover letter outlining your interests and suitability for the position
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Up to three examples of published papers 
4. Names and contact information of 3 references.

Special Instructions  

Contact Information

Prof. Stephanie E. Pierce

Contact Email spierce@oeb.harvard.edu
Website: https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/spierce

Contact Email spierce@oeb.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Minimum Number of References Required 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed 5