We are deeply saddened to share the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, pioneering scientist in developmental and stem-cell biology and Nobel laureate, inspirational colleague, teacher and leader. John Gurdon’s long and distinguished association with the University began in 1983 when he took up the John Humphry...

We are deeply saddened by the news that the world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and Zoology alumna, Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91. Prof Rebecca Kilner FRS, our Head of Department, said, ‘For years to come, Jane will be remembered for transforming scientific knowledge into a global force for conservation...

Our annual Alumni and Friends Open Day, last Saturday, 27 September was a great success. It was a pleasure to welcome so many old friends back to the Department. The packed programme included lab tours with Prof Nick Mundy, Dr Iris Hardege, Prof Howard Baylis, Dr William Foster and Dr Tiffany Ki, a lecture, 'Feeding the...

We are looking for an enthusiastic and positive individual to join the Accounts Team in the Department of Zoology as a Senior Accounts and Purchasing Clerk. You will make an important contribution to a range of finance-related activities in the Department, and we are looking for someone with a demonstrable interest in a career in Finance.

The role holder will undertake a full range of accounts duties, including raising of purchase orders, dealing with incoming deliveries, processing of Accounts Payable invoices and dealing with cash, cheque and BACS income. You will be the first point of contact for staff, students and suppliers for all their finance-related queries. Applicants should have a good general education to A-level or NVQ level 3, with strong administrative experience. Knowledge of University finance systems is desirable, although full training will be given to the right candidate.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, with excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to perform tasks to a high degree of accuracy. They will be self-motivated and able to prioritise their own workload within the scope of the role. They will play a key role as a proactive member of the finance team and the department.

Days of work will be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (in person in the Department)

• Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost-of-living increases;
• Generous annual leave allowance;
• Generous maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave entitlements, and other family-friendly schemes (e.g., workplace nurseries);
• An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;
• Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;
• Schemes to support relocation/provision of accommodation.

If you have the skills, experience, and personality to succeed in this role, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) and a health assessment.

Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.

For more details, please refer to the Further Particulars document.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Mr Simon Beeton [email: s.beeton@zoo.cam.ac.uk]

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Paulina Lasocka [email: pl585@cam.ac.uk]

Please quote reference PF47465 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and positive individual to join the Accounts Team in the Department of Zoology as a Senior Accounts and Purchasing Clerk. You will make an important contribution to a range of finance-related activities in the Department, and we are looking for someone with a demonstrable interest in a career in Finance.

The role holder will undertake a full range of accounts duties, including raising of purchase orders, dealing with incoming deliveries, processing of Accounts Payable invoices and dealing with cash, cheque and BACS income. You will be the first point of contact for staff, students and suppliers for all their finance-related queries. Applicants should have a good general education to A-level or NVQ level 3, with strong administrative experience. Knowledge of University finance systems is desirable, although full training will be given to the right candidate.

The successful candidate will be highly organised, with excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to perform tasks to a high degree of accuracy. They will be self-motivated and able to prioritise their own workload within the scope of the role. They will play a key role as a proactive member of the finance team and the department.

Days of work will be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (in person in the Department)

• Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost-of-living increases;
• Generous annual leave allowance;
• Generous maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave entitlements, and other family-friendly schemes (e.g., workplace nurseries);
• An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;
• Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;
• Schemes to support relocation/provision of accommodation.

If you have the skills, experience, and personality to succeed in this role, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) and a health assessment.

Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.

For more details, please refer to the Further Particulars document.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Mr Simon Beeton [email: s.beeton@zoo.cam.ac.uk]

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Paulina Lasocka [email: pl585@cam.ac.uk]

Please quote reference PF47465 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

The second edition of BSFCON, the world’s first international conference dedicated exclusively to the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), was held here in Cambridge from Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 September 2025. Organised by insect industry leaders, Better Origin, FreezeM, and Innovafeed alongside the University of...

Livestock ranching threatens aquatic insects, large-scale analysis finds A paper published this week in Global Change Biology led by Lindsey Barnes and Andrew Bladon of our Agroecology Group , describes the effect of livestock farming and ranching on aquatic insects. The Group, led by Prof Lynn Dicks, has been involved in...

A major paper led by Iris Berger, a PhD student in our Agroecology Group , co-authored by group leader Prof Lynn Dicks, is published in Nature Ecology and Evolution today. The paper, entitled, "India's agroecology programme, 'Zero Budget Natural Farming'”, analyses one of the world’s biggest agroecological transitions; the...

Adapted from text by Fiona Gilsenan (Corpus Christi College) Research into peacock spiders by an international team, including PhD candidate candidate Jonah Walker and his doctoral supervisor Dr Joana Meier, featured on BBC One's breakfast programme this morning. Jonah is a member of Joana’s research group , which is based...

Last week, Daniel Zeichner, Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs and MP for Cambridge, visited the University of Cambridge Sainsbury Lab for a series of research demonstrations which included work from this department. Mr Zeichner's portfolio includes Environmental Land Management (ELMS), food security...

Post Doctoral Research Associate in Neuroscience (Fixed Term)

Are you excited by the mechanisms of neurotransmission and behaviour and looking for a new opportunity? We are looking for an enthusiastic, inquisitive and motivated post-doctoral researcher to join the team in the Hardege lab in the Department of Zoology (https://www.hardege-lab.com/). The lab aims to understand how the function and diversity of neurotransmitter receptors is used to generate complex behaviours, including learning, in the small invertebrate model organism C. elegans.

We have recently discovered a range of novel dopamine receptors in C. elegans and found that different receptors are often expressed within a single neuron. This BBSRC-funded project aims to understand the interplay between excitatory and inhibitory metabotropic and ionotropic dopamine receptors and how they contribute to the regulation of complex behaviours.

This will involve a range of techniques including high resolution confocal microscopy to determine receptor localisation, behavioural analysis of C. elegans and computational modelling of the C. elegans neural network. The lab also uses Two Electrode Voltage Clamp (TEVC) electrophysiology and molecular biology techniques to characterise receptors. There are a broad range of training opportunities available, and you will also have the opportunity to mentor other lab members, attend scientific meetings and get involved in public engagement activities.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant area (or be close to completion) and a good understanding of neurotransmission and behaviour. We welcome applicants with experience in some of the following areas and with a desire to learn others: molecular biology, research using model system such as C. elegans, confocal imaging and computational analysis. We are also looking for someone who enjoys working both independently and collaboratively, values a supportive lab environment and possesses good communication and organisational skills.

This is an onsite post. We have funding available for a full-time 3-year contract, with a flexible start date starting between November 2025 and March 2026.

Please include a CV and cover letter (max. 2 pages) explaining why this role interests you and how your experience aligns with the candidate profile in the further particulars document, as well as the details of two referees.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive research environment and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are also open to discussing part-time/flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual circumstances.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Dr Iris Hardege [email: ih287@cam.ac.uk]

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Paulina Lasocka [email: pl585@cam.ac.uk]

Please quote reference PF47153 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Post Doctoral Research Associate in Neuroscience (Fixed Term)

Are you excited by the mechanisms of neurotransmission and behaviour and looking for a new opportunity? We are looking for an enthusiastic, inquisitive and motivated post-doctoral researcher to join the team in the Hardege lab in the Department of Zoology (https://www.hardege-lab.com/). The lab aims to understand how the function and diversity of neurotransmitter receptors is used to generate complex behaviours, including learning, in the small invertebrate model organism C. elegans.

We have recently discovered a range of novel dopamine receptors in C. elegans and found that different receptors are often expressed within a single neuron. This BBSRC-funded project aims to understand the interplay between excitatory and inhibitory metabotropic and ionotropic dopamine receptors and how they contribute to the regulation of complex behaviours.

This will involve a range of techniques including high resolution confocal microscopy to determine receptor localisation, behavioural analysis of C. elegans and computational modelling of the C. elegans neural network. The lab also uses Two Electrode Voltage Clamp (TEVC) electrophysiology and molecular biology techniques to characterise receptors. There are a broad range of training opportunities available, and you will also have the opportunity to mentor other lab members, attend scientific meetings and get involved in public engagement activities.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant area (or be close to completion) and a good understanding of neurotransmission and behaviour. We welcome applicants with experience in some of the following areas and with a desire to learn others: molecular biology, research using model system such as C. elegans, confocal imaging and computational analysis. We are also looking for someone who enjoys working both independently and collaboratively, values a supportive lab environment and possesses good communication and organisational skills.

This is an onsite post. We have funding available for a full-time 3-year contract, with a flexible start date starting between November 2025 and March 2026.

Please include a CV and cover letter (max. 2 pages) explaining why this role interests you and how your experience aligns with the candidate profile in the further particulars document, as well as the details of two referees.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive research environment and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are also open to discussing part-time/flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual circumstances.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Dr Iris Hardege [email: ih287@cam.ac.uk]

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact Paulina Lasocka [email: pl585@cam.ac.uk]

Please quote reference PF47153 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

We’re very pleased to announce that Professor Andrew Balmford FRS has won the inaugural Royal Society Environment Medal and Lecture for outstanding and sustained work in environmental science. The award recognises Andrew’s 'groundbreaking contributions to conservation science, having built transformative partnerships and...

We are delighted to announce that the Vice-Chancellor has appointed Professor Mark Brown to be the next Director of the University Museum of Zoology and Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology. Mark is currently Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he holds...

New research has shown that some butterflies’ ability to smell others of the same species allows them to identify potential mates in areas where multiple species all look the same. The research was carried by a large international team including scientists based here in the Department of Zoology and at the Wellcome Sanger...

Research by members of our Agroecology Group features in a new exhibition Future of Food at the Science Museum in London. Prof Lynn Dicks, leader of the Group, spoke at the exhibition's opening event on Thursday 24 July and wrote the following summary...

The accelerating rise of AI-generated fraudulent academic papers is fuelling an existential crisis for evidence synthesis. But AI also presents hope - both in speeding up literature searches, and in detecting these very same phony papers. In a comment piece published in Nature today, Department of Zoology's Sam Reynolds...

The Janet Moore prize is awarded for the best supervisor for Part II Zoology students, nominated by the students themselves. Janet Moore held a long-term association with the Zoology Department, with a strong focus on undergraduate teaching. This year the Prize has been awarded to Conall Stanforth. Congratulations Conall...

Are you planning to submit a senior research fellowship application for funding competitions with deadlines after March 2026? We are seeking Expressions of Interest from early career researchers who wish to be sponsored for externally funded fellowships that will allow them to start an independent research group in our...

Are you planning to submit a senior research fellowship* application for funding competitions with deadlines after March 2026?

The Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge seeks Expressions of Interest from early career researchers who wish to be sponsored for externally funded fellowships that will allow them to start an independent research group in our Department.

We offer a programme of support that will help you to establish you as an independent academic researcher, including assistance with your fellowship application, setting up your lab and recruiting personnel, as well as mentoring and training to help you develop your career. Research fellows will also have access to the comprehensive package of ongoing support available from the School of Biological Sciences https://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/research/research-fellowships.

We have an excellent track record in progressing our Senior Research Fellows into lectureships or equivalent positions at leading international universities and research institutes.

About the Department of Zoology

We are a thriving community of researchers investigating how animal life evolved, how it functions and persists today and how we can conserve it for future generations. The Department comprises more than 25 research groups, working at every level of biological organization from genes to ecosystems. We are keen to increase diversity in our academic staff and particularly encourage expressions of interest from women and BAME applicants.

Our dynamic intellectual environment includes the world-leading Cambridge Conservation Institute and University Museum of Zoology, and provides opportunities for collaboration in research themes that span the School of Biological Sciences (https://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/research/research-themes) and the wider university (https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/research-at-cambridge/strategic-research-initiatives-networks).

The School of Biological Sciences has state of the art facilities in imaging, high performance computing and bioinformatics. The Department's research strengths currently lie in behaviour and neuroscience, conservation science, ecology and all aspects of evolutionary biology.

How to apply for sponsorship

Please address informal enquires to the Head of Department Professor Rebecca Kilner hod@zoo.cam.ac.uk

To make an application, please download and complete the very short application form (https://shorturl.at/3KpGp) and send it with your publications list and contact details for two referees to admin@zoo.cam.ac.uk by 17:00 GMT on Sunday 9th November 2025. We will only contact you, and your referees, if you are shortlisted.

We will shortlist the fellowship applicants we would like to support by Monday 8th December 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Department to meet the academic staff and give a seminar in the week beginning 12 January 2026.

*Target fellowship schemes include: ERC Starting / Consolidator Grant, The Wellcome Trust Career Development Awards, Royal Society University Research Fellowship, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, Branco-Weiss Research Fellowship.

If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact Anastasia Nezhentseva.

Email: an286@cam.ac.uk Telephone: (0)1223 330117

Please quote reference PF46494 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.