Research Fellow

About us

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Molecular and Cultural Evolution (MACE) Lab at UCL, headed by Professor Mark Thomas.

We undertake research on a wide range of issues relating to human evolution, with a focus on model-based statistical inference from genetic (including ancient DNA), environmental and archaeological data to better understand our demographic, biological and cultural evolution.

The successful candidate will also work closely with Prof Stephen Shennan of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, which is one of the leading academic departments of archaeology in the UK and globally. The Institute is the largest department in its field in the UK, with an international graduate research community, and the broadest range of coverage of any UK department. It offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of archaeology and related areas of museum studies and cultural heritage. With a total of 60+ research-active staff pursuing high-quality research across five continents, the Institute is at the international forefront in all aspects of archaeology and heritage studies.

About the role

You will become an active member of the research project ‘COREX: From correlations to explanations: towards a new European prehistory’. In particular, you will focus on Work Package 3 (Exploratory analyses and discriminative models), as well as Work Package 4 (Generative models and explanations). Work Package 3 will take advantage of the ‘Big Interdisciplinary Archaeological Database’ (BIAD) – created as part of Work Package 1 – to explore patterns of co-variation in genetic, archaeological and environmental data using a range of statistical methods. Work Package 4 will take a ‘bottom up’ approach through agent-based and related modelling approaches to better understand how large-scale processes such as mass migration emerge from small-scale / more local processes and interactions (e.g. identity signalling), and the extent to which we would expect patterns of genetic and cultural variation to be linked in space and through ti me.

This role is on an open-ended contract starting from 01st November 2025 and funded until 24th November 2027 in the first instance. Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD Thesis.

Interview Date(s) are scheduled for May / June 2025.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Professor Mark Thomas. If you need a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact the HR Administrator.

About you

We will consider candidates with a PhD or similar in computational science or mathematics, and an interest in ancient DNA and archaeology, or candidates with a PhD or similar in a biological science, archaeology or geography, and relevant experience in computational modelling and / or model-based statistical inference. For more details on the person specification, please refer to the job description and person specification that can be accessed via the “apply” button.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits. Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Customer advert reference: B02-08383

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