Job Description

Location

SAINT LOUIS, MO 63110 The Orr Lab at WashU Medicine is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Postdoctoral Fellow to join our interdisciplinary research team. This position offers the opportunity to lead impactful research at the interface of aging biology, neurodegeneration, and spatial omics. The successful candidate will contribute to high-profile projects investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases—including Alzheimer’s disease—using advanced spatial biology platforms and translational approaches.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Information on being a postdoc at WashU in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs-2/

Trains under the supervision of a faculty mentor including (but not limited to):

• Design and conduct independent research projects focused on brain aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.
• Apply and optimize advanced spatial biology techniques, such as spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and multiplexed imaging, to analyze brain tissue.
• Lead data analysis and interpretation, integrating multi-omic and imaging datasets to identify cellular and molecular changes associated with aging and disease.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including bioinformaticians, neurologists, neuropathologists and clinical researchers, to translate findings across model systems and human cohorts.
• Mentor junior lab members, including graduate students and research staff, and contribute to fostering a supportive and rigorous scientific environment.
• Present research findings at lab meetings, institutional seminars, and national/international conferences.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation and grant writing, including drafting scientific figures and writing sections of proposals or papers.
• Maintain detailed records of experimental protocols, results, and analyses in accordance with lab, institutional, and funding agency standards.
• Develop and maintain protocols for tissue preparation and multiplexed imaging workflows.
• Assist in developing novel analytical pipelines or work with computational scientists to interpret complex spatial and single-cell datasets.
• Participate in grant-funded research and help identify new funding opportunities aligned with lab objectives.
• Contribute to the development of new collaborations and technology integration for the Spatial Biology Center of Excellence.
• Ensure compliance with relevant protocols (e.g., IACUC, IRB, biosafety) and uphold ethical research practices.

Working Conditions:

This position works in a laboratory environment with potential exposure to biological and chemical hazards. The individual must be physically able to wear protective equipment and to provide standard care to research animals.

Salary Range:

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Ph.D., M.D. Or Equivalent Terminal Or Doctoral Degree.

CertificationsProfessional Licenses

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:

No specific work experience is required for this position.

Skills:

Not Applicable

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

At WashU, postdoctoral appointments:

• Have a 5-year term limit that includes previous experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

CertificationsProfessional Licenses

No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Work Experience:

No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Skills:

Collaboration, Data Analysis, Data Interpretations, Experimentation, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Techniques, Researching, Results Reporting, Scientific Writing

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please emailCandidateQuestions@wustl.eduor call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.