Project Lead – Musculoskeletal biology and manipulation (x2)

• 3-5 hours per week for research duties
• 1-2 hours per week for communication, correspondence, or meetings
• Volunteering remotely / online
• Your option to specialize in bone, muscles, or other tissues within the musculoskeletal system.

At the Freedom of Form Foundation, we believe that everyone should have the right to biologically express their identities, living life in the body that feels most natural to them. Today’s advances in biotechnology and medicine present a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop the tools required to allow biological self-determination in the near future. Tails are on the horizon, potentially sooner than you think!

A key part of our research strategy is to review basic biology of key tissue systems in light of our goals, and identify viable techniques to manipulate those systems, favoring those that are possible today or in the near future. Where there is enough information in the literature, we can build models that support upcoming bioengineering. On the other hand, when we run across gaps, we follow up with hypothesis-driven or design-build-test-learn research projects. Naturally, we have to sufficiently understand – and work with – biological systems in our mission to fulfill patient goals. You will be bringing this future progressively closer to today’s reality.

Musculoskeletal biology is crucial in making transformational procedures possible. This involves biomedical and/or surgical methods to yield a range of structures that include muzzles, ears, digitigrade legs, paws that retain high-level function, and more. All of these involve major skeletal and muscular remodeling, and it becomes necessary to research and select the most viable methods for achieving those changes in the safest, most effective way we can.

We are looking for someone who will solve some of the most important challenges in our biological studies – compiling and organizing information about musculoskeletal cell types and gene regulation, identifying current and near-future techniques for manipulating those systems, and making suggestions and recommendations for followup research projects. Ultimately, your work will clear the path for engineers to build quantitative models that represent the basic biology as well as how manipulation techniques can be combined together across tissues in one patient.

• Select a specialization, e.g. bone, cartilage, muscles and tendons, etc.
• Integrating many facts from biological disciplines: cell types; molecular and cellular biology; gene regulation; stages of embryonic development for the musculoskeletal system; cell fating; receptiveness of various cell types to transdifferentiation or similar; comparing and contrasting musculoskeletal tissues from different regions of the body
• Searching for proofs of principle for techniques applied to bones and muscles, including various gene delivery technologies, cell therapies, bioprinted tissue, surgical techniques, and even neural interface integrations.
• Keeping an eye out for weak points in current knowledge, or gaps where current techniques might be insufficient for our goals.
• Incorporating the above findings into a well-organized whitepaper or article. (You’re not writing a book! Something on the order of a few pages should do the trick.)

You will be taking on a highly independent role, and will be reporting directly to our Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Tiltwolf. (They are extremely friendly and supportive, don’t worry about that! They are brilliant and will genuinely be a great resource for you).

• Two-way communication with our CSO, other researchers, and other volunteers.
• Being resourceful and creative to find information and resources you need.
• Developing a more detailed project plan, listing tasks and deliverables, and following through on it.
• Occasionally sharing your research with our community through presentations, newsletter articles, and other contributions. (This is seriously a lot of fun, and helps us get more resources to help your project! Don’t sweat it.)

The four most important questions we would ask you are:

• Does our mission mean something special to you?
• Do you feel personal accountability for projects and tasks you are involved in?
• Do you enjoy learning new things, and applying your abilities in new ways?
• Are you willing to see a project through to the end, within the bounds of your personal health?

Positive answers to those questions are the biggest predictors of success – more important than professional degrees, in our experience. If you can answer yes to all four questions, we strongly encourage you to reach out, even if you don’t feel that the technical qualifications below are a fit. There’s a good chance we can find something that works.

Now, in more technical terms, we are generally hoping for someone with:

• Have taken at least one class in either molecular and cellular biology, embryonic development, anatomy and physiology, or similar.
• Hands-on work experience in a laboratory, medical, or veterinary setting.
• Mastery of gathering, analyzing, and summarizing complex and sometimes conflicting information.
• Experience working on a complex project independently, and delivering results successfully.
• Exposure to situations requiring interdisciplinary collaboration or communication.
• Ability to act as a generalist, and willingness to go outside your main area of training.

The above qualifications are intentionally broad. We believe in translatable skills, and no matter what, you’ll need to think creatively to solve new problems.

• Supportive and genuine environment, and source of new friendships.
• Access to tools and resources. If you need something for your project, we’ll cover it.
• Stretching yourself with new challenges in a growing environment, practicing new career skills earlier than your contemporaries.
• Seeing your work make an impact, and create something you’re proud of.

If you have any questions or want to discuss more before applying, please send an email to [email protected]. We won’t bite (too hard)!

In particular, if you are interested in this or other volunteering opportunities, and you’re not sure whether or not it would be a fit, please reach out and we’d be happy to explore possibilities with you.

Please send an email to [email protected] with:

• Subject line – Make sure to include the position title somewhere in the subject line.
• Message body – Cover letter. We’re very interested to hear your take on our organization’s mission and if it has personal meaning for you. Please address your message to the hiring manager, Tiltwolf.
• Attach – Your Resume or CV.

If we feel there may be a match, we’ll reach out to you to follow up.