09 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Durham University, England

This is a research project aiming to develop a context-aware kerbside application framework to better understand user behaviour and other contextual information that can be used to improve the process of dynamically assigning kerbside virtual bays. The project involves a human behaviour analysis to identify behavioural patterns of key stakeholders, including drivers, depot and transport managers, and enforcement officers. The project will develop a context-aware model that captures the complex interactions among local councils, logistics providers, and road users, with the aim of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the kerbside space allocation. It also evaluates subsequent benefits by comparing them.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Stem Cell Biology with a particular emphasis on epithelial stem cell regulation. The research project is funded by a BBSRC Pioneer Award and led by Dr David Doupé and will explore the importance of signalling dynamics in stem cells. Precise regulation of cell fate in time and space is critical for normal development and adult homeostasis. While in many contexts the signalling pathways involved in regulating cell fate have been identified, the importance of the temporal nature of a signal, for example whether it is sustained, transient of oscillatory have been less well studied in vivo. This project aims to characterize the temporal dynamics of major signalling pathways in Drosophila intestinal stem cells. This will involve (1) generation of new genetic tools for pathway visualization and (2) live intravital imaging of signalling dynamics in stem cells. Together these aims will establish whether dynamic encoding of information by major pathways is an important feature of stem cell regulation in an important model system with potential implications for mammalian stem cells.

Applications are invited for an 8-month postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) position within the Applied Mathematics research group, to begin in July 2024. The position is funded by an EPSRC grant to investigate a new parallel time-integration method titled “Phase Averaged Deferred Correction for Multi-Timescale Systems”. Although this is a general numerical technique for solving multi-timescale systems with fast oscillations, the primary application is the numerical modelling of geophysical flows. Candidates with a strong track record in numerical methods, computational physics and fluid dynamics are particularly encouraged to apply. The position will be under the direction of Dr Hossein Kafiabad and will be a collaboration with Professor Colin Cotter and his research group in Imperial College London.  The project is a combination of developing numerical algorithms, implementing them in a set of code and applying them to geophysical fluids. There is an opportunity for hybrid working, if it suits the prospective candidate.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Mutualism Phylogenetic Comparative Methods. The project focuses on the drivers of mutualism breakdown across the main mutualisms plants are involved in, namely seed dispersal, pollination, indirect defence by ants, parasitoid wasps or mites and root nutritional symbioses (mycorrhiza, symbioses with N-fixing bacteria). Using large plant phylogenies and large databases for plant mutualisms for over 30,000 species, you will trace evolutionary transitions in these diverse interactions. Using sophisticated ancestral estimation analyses, you will identify hotspots and coldspots of mutualism breakdown across the plant tree of life, test how the level of dependency of one or several of these mutualisms affect this pattern. Can we predict the pattern of mutualism breakdown based on the dependencies on these different partnerships? You will then translate these analyses spatially, developing new metrics and mapping tools to represent the rate of mutualism breakdown on a map. This will enable the identification of geographic hotspots of mutualism breakdown, and probe diverse environmental factors as potential drivers of breakdown. You will then develop new methods reconstruct the rate of mutualism breakdown back in time, and test whether the rate of mutualism breakdown is associated with the rate of climatic change. This will allow to test key hypotheses that have linked the breakdown of cooperation to climate change. In a nutshell, the project will involve: (1) database curation, (2) phylogenetic comparative analyses to identify of mutualism breakdown across (2i) the plant tree of life, (2ii) space and (2iii) time, testing for a large number of potential drivers of mutualism breakdown. The large-scale nature of the project implies that there is a significant leeway in terms of avenues that can be explored in this project, beyond these key tasks. This project will involve collaboration with scientists across the globe, and you will be leading this project and managing these collaborations.    

Applications are invited for a 12 month postdoctoral position within the Applied Mathematics research group, to begin in April 2024. The position is funded by an STFC consolidated grant on “Solar Magnetic Evolution and Complexity”, held jointly with the University of Dundee. Candidates with strong track records in computational MHD, solar physics, or magnetic field modelling are particularly encouraged to apply.

The position will be under the direction of Dr Christopher Prior, as part of an ongoing project on the influence of active region substructure on the large-scale corona. The aim is to determine, primarily through numerical simulations and solar magnetogram data analysis, the importance of accounting for substructure in emerging active regions when determining the large-scale magnetic field in the Sun’s corona (outer atmosphere). The successful applicant will also be encouraged to interact with other members of the Applied Mathematics research group (https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/mathematical-sciences/research/areas/applied-mathematics/) and to begin developing independent research ideas.

Applications are invited for a 3-year postdoctoral position within the Applied Mathematics research group, to begin in April 2024. The position is funded by a Leverhulme project grant to investigate the fine-scale structure in solar flare ribbons and how it relates to turbulence in the solar atmosphere. Candidates with a strong track record in fluid dynamics and/or Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) are particularly encouraged to apply. The position will be under the direction of Dr Peter Wyper and will primarily involve analysing MHD simulation data to understand the connection between flare ribbons and turbulent magnetic reconnection. It is envisaged that automatic analysis software will be developed to characterise the simulated ribbons, likely involving machine learning techniques, which will then later be applied to satellite observations. The successful applicant will also be encouraged to interact with other members of the research group and to begin developing independent research ideas.

The successful applicants will have an excellent research record in any area of particle physics phenomenology including beyond the standard model physics, electroweak and Higgs physics, flavour physics, model building, Monte Carlo simulations, precision standard model physics, neutrino physics, particle astrophysics, strong interactions and novel computational methods. They will have an important role to play in the maintaining research excellence of the Institute. Applications from candidates with a strong record of engagement with experimental groups are encouraged. Candidates must contribute to fostering a collegial environment, as well as demonstrating their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. It is essential that the successful candidates will have a PhD in theoretical particle physics or closely related field and will have demonstrated strength in independent research in theoretical particle physics appropriate to their experience. The candidate will also have good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work effectively with people at all levels of seniority and of different nationalities.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Biochemistry with a particular emphasis on phage defence. Studies using bacteriophages (phages) underpin modern genetics and molecular biology. Phage biology is currently enjoying a renaissance owing to the rapid discovery of new phage defence systems. Furthermore, as the problem of antimicrobial resistance increases, there is renewed interest in the use of phages as therapeutic agents.

The role is funded by a BBSRC grant, with a focus on the biochemistry of Bacteriophage Exclusion (BREX) phage defence. The project will involve a range of inter-disciplinary techniques including microbiology, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, and structural biology. The aim will be to understand the roles of BREX complexes and small molecule signalling within BREX defence.