Assistant Professor in Biosciences

The Department of Biosciences at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented individual to the role of Assistant Professor in Ecology, Evolution or Behavioural Ecology. We welcome applications from those with research and teaching interests that are consistent with research priorities in the Department and whose research is complementary to other staff in the Department (www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/biosciences/research/groups/ecology-evolution-and-environment). We particularly welcome applications that complement and build upon our core research and teaching strengths in the broad area of behavioural ecology.

The Department of Biosciences is consistently ranked in the top 10 UK Biological Sciences Departments in University league tables. We aim to appoint outstanding new academic staff to i) strengthen research in cross-disciplinary approaches to fundamental biological questions and ii) to provide students with an outstanding educational and training experience through a contribution to our taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Research in the Department is focused around four key themes - ecology, evolution & environment (EEE), animal cells & systems, biomolecular interactions and molecular plant sciences. A significant number of existing staff transcend these soft boundaries (www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/biosciences/research). For example, many EEE staff are members of the BEER (Behaviour, Evolution and Environmental Research) Centre – a cross University groupin g for all those interested in a wide area of whole organism biology. The group currently totals 79 members, including staff, PDRAs and PhD candidates. It promotes and hosts seminars and discussions throughout the year across a broad range of topics of mutual interest.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to make a major contribution to the development of internationally excellent research and teaching while allowing you unrivalled opportunities to progress and embed your career in an exciting and progressive institution. For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/biosciences.

We offer 3-year BSc degree programmes in Biological Sciences and Biochemistry and a 4-year MBiol, while also contributing to Natural Sciences. Our research and teaching are supported by outstanding research infrastructure: high-performance computing in support of data analysis and associated advanced modelling approaches; a wide range of field research equipment including differential GPS, datalogging and automatic weather station systems, field vehicles as well as state-of-the-art glasshouse and controlled environment chambers plus insectory (totalling £1.5M+ refurbishment investment in spring-summer 2024), ancient DNA laboratory, wet laboratories for sample preparation and analysis, laboratories for modern genetics and evolutionary biological studies. The latter are supported by state-of-the-art central facilities for advanced bioimaging (including super-resolution, confocal and electron microscopy), genomics, proteomics and metabolomics. We actively promote research at the inte rface with other disciplines across all faculties. Of particular note for the EEE grouping are our wide-ranging links through interdisciplinary research with the departments of Psychology, Anthropology, Archaeology, Geography, Engineering, Earth Sciences, Business School, Philosophy, Music, Physics and Chemistry, Computing and Mathematics.

For more information, please visit our Department pages at www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/biosciences

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