英国约克大学进化论博士后职位

We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher in Evolutionary Theory to work on an interdisciplinary project investigating the evolution of symbiosis. This project “Ecological drivers of evolutionary transitions in mutualistic symbioses” is funded by NERC to understand the ecological conditions that drive the evolutionary emergence and maintenance of new symbioses. Mutualistic symbioses underpin ecosystem functioning yet it is unclear how or why facultative associations between previously free-living species make major evolutionary transitions to stable symbiosis.The project takes an interdisciplinary approach combining mathematical modelling, experimental evolution (of a synthetic photosymbiosis between a single-celled eukaryote host and a cyanobacterium endosymbiont), with metabolomics and genomics to gain a holistic understanding of both the evolutionary dynamics and the underlying physiological mechanisms of symbiosis. 

This project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between three research labs at University of York (Prof. Michael Brockhurst, Dr. A. Jamie Wood, Prof. Richard Law) and one at University of Sheffield (Dr. Duncan Cameron). You will lead the mathematical modelling component of the project in York and collaborate closely with two other postdoctoral researchers on the project to ensure successful integration of the mathematical modelling and empirical components. You will be responsible for modelling aspects of project on a day-to-day basis and there will an opportunity to supervise undergraduate project students working in the same area. You should hold a PhD in mathematics, biology or a closely related field. Experience of using adaptive dynamics and game theory to address evolutionary problems would be advantageous but not essential.

This post is available from 1^st June 2014, for a period of 18 months, with a salary of £29,837 a year.

Informal enquiries can be made directly to Prof. Michael Brockhurst

Closing date: 13 March 2014