Associate Professor / Professor of Developmental Plasticity and Robustness

The School of Biological Sciences is pleased to invite applications for the position of Associate Professor / Professor of Developmental Plasticity and Robustness. The position will be at Grade 10 or Grade 11 (depending on experience) and is available from October 2025.

This post align with the School's research strategy to foster innovative research across disciplinary boundaries.

The focus of this post will be to build a world-leading research programme, deliver excellent teaching, and to positively engage with academic leadership both in the home Department(s) and across the School of Biological Sciences.

The successful applicant will have an excellent track record in the study of developmental and/or reproductive mechanisms that enable resilience to perturbations or to alterations of the environment. Applications are welcomed from outstanding individuals who use model organisms or make use of 3D culture approaches to tackle fundamental questions in the field. Examples might include mechanisms underpinning the capacity of embryos to regulate patterning and/or regenerate tissues and organs; processes that ameliorate impact of external influences on early life and/or women's health; mechanisms of resilience that enable healthy ageing across the lifespan. The remit aligns with the School's Reproduction, Development and Lifelong Health Research Theme, which brings together groups from across many Departments and disciplines and has three ongoing "Grand Challenges": Complex tissue regeneration across scales and systems, Extending healthy lifespan, Women's reproductive health. Also of relevance is the recently established Human Developmental Biology Initiative, which will nucleate and grow research efforts in this field, building on existing strengths. These initiatives will enable the post-holder to situate their research within areas of strategic importance and rapidly establish research interactions with other groups across the School.

Academic responsibilities will include delivering undergraduate and postgraduate lectures, practical classes and small group supervisions, engaging with the Research Theme initiatives, and positively contributing to the inclusive and collaborative ethos of the School. Mentoring and professional development of staff and students is expected as part of our inclusive and supportive community.

The departmental home for this exciting new position will be discussed with the candidate to ensure best strategic fit based on expertise and research direction.

We particularly welcome applications from women, candidates who identify as Black or Asian and those who consider themselves to be racialized minorities, as they are currently under-represented at this level in the School. We offer mentoring and access to inclusion networks to support and empower individuals and enable an inclusive research culture.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the apply button above.

Applications, including a 1500-word statement on current and future research plans, a cv and publications list, a brief narrative (maximum 300 words per output) on your three most significant outputs, a one-page statement on your teaching experience, contributions to open research and research culture improvement, and your perspective on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, along with three referees' details, should be submitted online by 26th January.

The University of Cambridge is a signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and we are committed to assessing research on the basis of its merits rather than the journal or venue in which it is published. Applicants should not include Journal Impact Factors or journal titles as a proxy for research quality in their applications. For more information:https://www.biology.cam.ac.uk/files/dora.pdf.

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