Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time
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Job Description
This postdoctoral research position focuses on the evolution of brains, intelligence, and cognition over deep time, utilizing paleontology and phylogenetics. Key responsibilities include gathering and synthesizing data on tetrapod brain evolution, conducting statistical analyses to test evolutionary trends, and predicting neuron counts in extinct species. Applicants should have experience with 3D CT data, phylogenetic comparative methods, and Bayesian statistics.
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Key Responsibilities
- A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
- Professional development and subject matter expertise
- Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your experience
- We seek an interdisciplinary scientist to join our international team studying the evolution of brains, intelligence, and cognition over deep time.
- Our Deep Time Cognition team—funded by the Swedish Research Council—combines expertise in cognitive zoology, neurobiology, and palaeontology to understand how cognition and brains have evolved in concert over eons, and what has driven this evolution.
- By working together, we are creating an initial atlas of how neuroanatomy correlates with cognition expressed in behaviour.
- Drawing on these results we will then recreate the cognition of long extinct species, by making brain models based on fossils.
- This will make it possible to pinpoint cognitive changes in geological time, which can be correlated with major events in the history of Earth.
- More information on our team can be found here: https://www.deeptimecognition.lu.se/
- More information on our team can be found here:
- https://www.deeptimecognition.lu.se/
- The University of Edinburgh component of the team specializes in palaeontology and phylogenetics, and contributes data including CT scans of fossils and reconstructions of the brains of extinct species, and large phylogenetic trees and datasets for testing trends in evolution across genealogy and time.
- The Edinburgh team is led by Professor Stephen Brusatte (co-PI on the research grant).
- The postdoctoral fellow will be a key member of the team.
- They will gather and synthesize data on the anatomy, size, and shape of the brains (via CT brain endocasts) for tetrapods across time (350+ million years of evolution), working closely with Brusatte and PhD students and external co-PI Lawrence Witmer (Ohio University) who have been gathering data on tetrapod subgroups (extinct dinosaurs, squamates, and amphibians).
- They will use Bayesian statistics to test for trends in brain size change over time and phylogeny, test for correlations between brain size and neuron counts in extant species, and make the most robust predictions for neuron counts in extinct species, including dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex , contributing to an exciting current debate in the fields of cognitive zoology and palaeontology.
- People have always been at the heart of our work. We value colleagues with drive, determination, and a passion for what they do. We are a place where everyone is welcome and offer a range of policies and benefits designed to support you.
- Discover more about working at the University of Edinburgh on our Jobs website .
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- Opportunities for publication
Benefits
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About This Position
When do applications close for this position?
Applications for Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time at University of Edinburgh close on 23 October 2026. Make sure your application reaches the university's recruitment system before the deadline — late submissions are generally not accepted.
What does this position pay?
The advertised salary for this role is GBP 41,064 – 48,822. The final offer within the band depends on qualifications and experience, as set by University of Edinburgh's enterprise agreement.
Where is this position based?
The position is based at University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, GB. Check the job description above for flexible or hybrid arrangements.
How do I apply for this job?
Click the Apply button on this page — it takes you to University of Edinburgh's official application portal, where you submit your application directly to the university. Tenurify only aggregates the listing and never handles applications or charges candidates.
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