Researchers utilize a biochemical technique called clearing and staining to create skeletal images of vertebrates. This makes biological specimens transparent while simultaneously highlighting specific structures, allowing for the study of features deep within a sample without dissection. Dr. Noah Bressman blends this scientific technique, photography, and digital effects to highlight the beauty within fish anatomy.
He will discuss how he makes his unique neon skeletons, major influences on his work, and how his work has changed over time. He will also share the story of how he accidentally got his start as an artist with no artistic training by eating a sandwich on a hot, humid summer day under the most unusual of circumstances, showing how anyone can be an artist in their own right! While science is often the inspiration for his art, his art has also been the inspiration for his science. Come learn about the scientific discoveries Dr. Bressman has made in the pursuit of art!
After graduating from Cornell University in 2016 with a BS in biology and a concentration in marine biology, Dr. Bressman began his PhD work in biology at Wake Forest University, researching amphibious behaviors of invasive fish species, such as Northern Snakeheads and Walking Catfish. He was a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Doug Fudge’s lab at Chapman University, where he studied the biomechanical properties of hagfish slime before joining the biology department at Salisbury University as an Assistant Professor of Physiology on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where his research interests include fish biology, functional morphology, biomechanics, and behavior, with a special focus on recreationally-important fish species, how amphibious fishes navigate terrestrial environments, and the invasive fish species.
In addition to being a scientist, Noah is also a competitive fisherman on a mission to catch every species of fish (currently at 457!) and a science communicator, blogging for various scientific journals and the Discovery Channel TV show, A Fishing Story, as well as creating multiple videos as an educator for TED-Ed. He is also artist that uses photography, Photoshop, and a biochemical technique to create skeletal images of vertebrates. His artwork has been featured in exhibits throughout the country and internationally, in scientific journals, as the first ever artist in residence for the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in January 2026, and even tattooed on his own skin! Recently, one image was recognized as an Image of Distinction in the Nikon Small World international microscopy art competition.
