About Us:

The role is based in the Conservation Science Group in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. There, led by Professor Andrew Balmford, research is underway centred around the impact of food on the natural environment: how can we feed a growing human population at the least cost to people and nature? This is a broad question and so the research covers a wide range of topics, including species population modelling, the biodiversity and greenhouse gas impacts of meals served in a hospital, through to the effect of package size on purchasing habits and food waste. We are looking for a motivated individual to work on a number of these topics. If you have experience in coding, strong critical thinking skills, and a passion for preserving the planet, we would love to hear from you.

The role:

As a Research Assistant, you will join the Conservation Science Group and the Mandala project (www.mandala-consortium.org) to work primarily on methods for assessing the sustainability of food and applying them to real-world data. Working closely with the team behind 'LIFE' - a state-of-the-art biodiversity assessment method, and with access to an exciting novel dataset on the food purchasing habits of 2000 households in the UK, this work has the potential for substantial impact in policy and the scientific literature. Work will include helping to develop a pipeline to estimate the impacts of individual food products and applying them to food purchasing data to explore the demographic drivers of consumption impacts. Work may also include contributing to a global standard of food impact assessments. Potential aspects of this role are broad, but might include a review of existing approaches to assessing the impacts of agricultural products, data manipulation - bringing together several data sources, developing code to automate procedures, carrying out statistical analyses and presenting results in various formats.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Relevant degree (Bachelors or Masters) in a quantitative / analytical subject.
• Experience in computer programming, particularly in the context of data manipulation and analysis using a language such as Python.
• Experience in working with large datasets programmatically.
• Statistical analysis and scientific writing skills.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to communicate research findings clearly in oral and written formats to collaborators and other members of the group

Desirable skills and knowledge - Experience working in a professional environment. - An understanding of the principles of reproducible scientific methods (e.g. version control, open access data and code).

For informal enquires, please contact Dr Thomas Ball at tsb42@cam.ac.uk.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available up until 21 March 2026 2026 with a possibility of extension.

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF46284 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.

About Us:

The role is based in the Conservation Science Group in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. There, led by Professor Andrew Balmford, research is underway centred around the impact of food on the natural environment: how can we feed a growing human population at the least cost to people and nature? This is a broad question and so the research covers a wide range of topics, including species population modelling, the biodiversity and greenhouse gas impacts of meals served in a hospital, through to the effect of package size on purchasing habits and food waste. We are looking for a motivated individual to work on a number of these topics. If you have experience in coding, strong critical thinking skills, and a passion for preserving the planet, we would love to hear from you.

The role:

As a Research Assistant, you will join the Conservation Science Group and the Mandala project (www.mandala-consortium.org) to work primarily on methods for assessing the sustainability of food and applying them to real-world data. Working closely with the team behind 'LIFE' - a state-of-the-art biodiversity assessment method, and with access to an exciting novel dataset on the food purchasing habits of 2000 households in the UK, this work has the potential for substantial impact in policy and the scientific literature. Work will include helping to develop a pipeline to estimate the impacts of individual food products and applying them to food purchasing data to explore the demographic drivers of consumption impacts. Work may also include contributing to a global standard of food impact assessments. Potential aspects of this role are broad, but might include a review of existing approaches to assessing the impacts of agricultural products, data manipulation - bringing together several data sources, developing code to automate procedures, carrying out statistical analyses and presenting results in various formats.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Relevant degree (Bachelors or Masters) in a quantitative / analytical subject.
• Experience in computer programming, particularly in the context of data manipulation and analysis using a language such as Python.
• Experience in working with large datasets programmatically.
• Statistical analysis and scientific writing skills.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to communicate research findings clearly in oral and written formats to collaborators and other members of the group

Desirable skills and knowledge - Experience working in a professional environment. - An understanding of the principles of reproducible scientific methods (e.g. version control, open access data and code).

For informal enquires, please contact Dr Thomas Ball at tsb42@cam.ac.uk.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available up until 21 March 2026 2026 with a possibility of extension.

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF46284 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 findings of MegaMove a global UN-endorsed research project, were published this week in the journal Science. The project involved a team of nearly 400 international scientists from over 50 countries have tracked more than 100 marine megafauna species, to identify the most critical locations in our global oceans for...

We are inviting applications for the post of Senior Collections Lead. This new four-year position is available at the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge and is based on-site.

The University Museum of Zoology holds a collection of approximately two million specimens covering the entire animal kingdom, past and present, of which around 5,000 are on public display. The collections are designated as being of outstanding national and international significance and are vitally important for our knowledge of the history of fauna around the world, and for the history of science itself.

The Museum's main purpose is to promote and advance the understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of animal life in the past, present and future of our planet. This is achieved through teaching, research and public engagement - the Museum is both one of Cambridgeshire's leading visitor attractions, welcoming over 150,000 visitors annually, and a major research hub. The Museum is part of the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, and is housed in the David Attenborough Building, sharing space with NGO and academic partners in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. There are numerous stakeholders in the Museum within and beyond the University.

The Senior Collections Lead's primary responsibility is to manage the team responsible for Collections Management, Care, and Conservation; whilst also playing a significant role in the delivery of this work, particularly in areas of collections management. You will be an ambitious and creative individual with proven successful experience of leading and motivating teams with a diverse and active workload. You will have a deep knowledge of contemporary natural history museums practice, particularly in collections management, and a practical understanding of the processes of conservation. You enjoy people-management, work-planning and negotiation, and have the ability to develop schedules to balance the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. You are excited by the creative possibilities of making collections accessible for research, teaching and public engagement. You will have the people skills to be a superb ambassador for the Museum when engaging with external users of our collections and capable of working effectively with our academic Curators.

For more information, please refer to the Further Particulars.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check, a security check and a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Informal inquiries are welcomed and should be directed to the Museum's Assistant Director, Jack Ashby: jda26@cam.ac.uk

Interviews are likely to take place on 7th August 2025, and candidates who are shortlisted for interview are likely to hear that they have been shortlisted on or around 31st July.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF45931 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 inviting applications for the post of Senior Collections Lead. This new four-year position is available at the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge and is based on-site.

The University Museum of Zoology holds a collection of approximately two million specimens covering the entire animal kingdom, past and present, of which around 5,000 are on public display. The collections are designated as being of outstanding national and international significance and are vitally important for our knowledge of the history of fauna around the world, and for the history of science itself.

The Museum's main purpose is to promote and advance the understanding and appreciation of the richness and diversity of animal life in the past, present and future of our planet. This is achieved through teaching, research and public engagement - the Museum is both one of Cambridgeshire's leading visitor attractions, welcoming over 150,000 visitors annually, and a major research hub. The Museum is part of the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, and is housed in the David Attenborough Building, sharing space with NGO and academic partners in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. There are numerous stakeholders in the Museum within and beyond the University.

The Senior Collections Lead's primary responsibility is to manage the team responsible for Collections Management, Care, and Conservation; whilst also playing a significant role in the delivery of this work, particularly in areas of collections management. You will be an ambitious and creative individual with proven successful experience of leading and motivating teams with a diverse and active workload. You will have a deep knowledge of contemporary natural history museums practice, particularly in collections management, and a practical understanding of the processes of conservation. You enjoy people-management, work-planning and negotiation, and have the ability to develop schedules to balance the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. You are excited by the creative possibilities of making collections accessible for research, teaching and public engagement. You will have the people skills to be a superb ambassador for the Museum when engaging with external users of our collections and capable of working effectively with our academic Curators.

For more information, please refer to the Further Particulars.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure (criminal records check) check, a security check and a standard Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Informal inquiries are welcomed and should be directed to the Museum's Assistant Director, Jack Ashby: jda26@cam.ac.uk

Interviews are likely to take place on 7th August 2025, and candidates who are shortlisted for interview are likely to hear that they have been shortlisted on or around 31st July.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF45931 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.

Insect biodiversity change is an important research focus for our Agroecology Group . Widespread declines in insect biodiversity have been attributed to a diverse set of anthropogenic drivers, but the relative importance of these drivers remains a puzzle. One aspect of the group's research, as part of the GLITRS project ...

The quest for a perfect understanding of the causes of species decline can get in the way of good options for immediate action when it comes to conservation. A framework to tackle this issue is described in a new paper published in the journal Ecological Solutions and Evidence, co-authored by Prof Jeremy Wilson, Director...

Are you a great communicator with a keen eye for detail? The Zoology Department at the University of Cambridge have an exciting opportunity for an HR Administrator to join our team as soon as possible.

Located in the heart of Cambridge, the Zoology Department is a buzzing and friendly community of over 250 researchers, students, and visitors who are passionate about exploring the wonders of the natural world.

As the HR Administrator, you will help support various HR processes, including recruitment, induction, probation, end of limited contracts, sickness, and parental leave. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining the visitors' database, drafting Visitor Agreements, and managing the departmental casual workforce through the Cambridge Casual Workforce System.

You will possess excellent communication skills and be proficient in all standard Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel and Outlook. You should be highly organized, self-motivated, and able to prioritize your workload within a demanding timetable. Tact and discretion are essential when handling confidential information and documents. Previous general administrative experience in a higher education organisation or research institute would be desirable. Previous HR experience is not specifically required as training in Cambridge University HR systems will be provided.

Due to the need to foster a good understanding of the department and build relationships this role is based on site.

What we Offer: The University of Cambridge offers excellent benefits, extensive opportunities in a stimulating environment.

The University salary structure includes automatic service-related pay progression in many of its grades and an annual cost of living increase. In addition to this, employees are rewarded for outstanding contribution through a number of regular pay progression schemes. Staff also benefit from a generous annual leave entitlement.

The University offers employees a wide range of competitive benefits, from health care cash plans to childcare, a cycle to work scheme, to shopping and insurance discounts. University-led initiatives in the areas of equality, diversity and wellbeing include staff and student networks. These include the Women's Staff Network, the Disabled Staff Network, the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network, Parents and Carers and the LGBT+ Network. We also hold a wide range of Equality and Diversity events on a regular basis. Wellbeing at Cambridge is a University-wide initiative aiming at supporting and maximising the health and wellbeing of staff.

The University offer a range of family-friendly policies, including maternity, adoption and shared parental leave. In addition, workplace nurseries, childcare vouchers, a childcare salary sacrifice scheme and a high-quality holiday play scheme are available to help support University employees with caring responsibilities

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

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF46106 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.

Are you a great communicator with a keen eye for detail? The Zoology Department at the University of Cambridge have an exciting opportunity for an HR Administrator to join our team as soon as possible.

Located in the heart of Cambridge, the Zoology Department is a buzzing and friendly community of over 250 researchers, students, and visitors who are passionate about exploring the wonders of the natural world.

As the HR Administrator, you will help support various HR processes, including recruitment, induction, probation, end of limited contracts, sickness, and parental leave. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining the visitors' database, drafting Visitor Agreements, and managing the departmental casual workforce through the Cambridge Casual Workforce System.

You will possess excellent communication skills and be proficient in all standard Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel and Outlook. You should be highly organized, self-motivated, and able to prioritize your workload within a demanding timetable. Tact and discretion are essential when handling confidential information and documents. Previous general administrative experience in a higher education organisation or research institute would be desirable. Previous HR experience is not specifically required as training in Cambridge University HR systems will be provided.

Due to the need to foster a good understanding of the department and build relationships this role is based on site.

What we Offer: The University of Cambridge offers excellent benefits, extensive opportunities in a stimulating environment.

The University salary structure includes automatic service-related pay progression in many of its grades and an annual cost of living increase. In addition to this, employees are rewarded for outstanding contribution through a number of regular pay progression schemes. Staff also benefit from a generous annual leave entitlement.

The University offers employees a wide range of competitive benefits, from health care cash plans to childcare, a cycle to work scheme, to shopping and insurance discounts. University-led initiatives in the areas of equality, diversity and wellbeing include staff and student networks. These include the Women's Staff Network, the Disabled Staff Network, the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network, Parents and Carers and the LGBT+ Network. We also hold a wide range of Equality and Diversity events on a regular basis. Wellbeing at Cambridge is a University-wide initiative aiming at supporting and maximising the health and wellbeing of staff.

The University offer a range of family-friendly policies, including maternity, adoption and shared parental leave. In addition, workplace nurseries, childcare vouchers, a childcare salary sacrifice scheme and a high-quality holiday play scheme are available to help support University employees with caring responsibilities

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

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF46106 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.

On Monday 14 April we welcomed members of the department to our first in-house postgraduate student symposium. The symposium is our annual opportunity to showcase and celebrate the diverse work being done by PhD and MPhil students in the department — as well as to build links between research groups and exchange ideas and...

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome the latest cohort of outstanding researchers into the Fellowship of the Royal Society,” said Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society. “Their achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.

“The strength of the Fellowship lies not only in individual excellence, but in the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences each new member brings. This cohort represents the truly global nature of modern science and the importance of collaboration in driving scientific breakthroughs.”

The Fellows and Foreign Members join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

The new Cambridge fellows are:

Professor Edward Bullmore FMedSci FRS

Professor Ed Bullmore is Professor of Psychiatry and former Head of the Department of Psychiatry. His research mainly involves the application of brain imaging to psychiatry. He has introduced an entirely original approach to the analysis of human brain anatomy, involving graph theory and its application to small-world networks. This has had an enormous impact on the field, especially in relation to understanding the biological basis of schizophrenia and depression. His work has been key to the understanding of the 'wiring' of the human brain.

Professor Gábor Csányi FRS

Professor Gábor Csányi is Professor of Molecular Modelling in the Department of Engineering, and a Fellow of Pembroke College. His work is in the field of computational chemistry, and is focused on developing algorithms to predict the properties of materials and molecules from first principles. He pioneered the application of machine learning to molecular modelling which lead to enormous gains in the efficiency of molecular dynamics simulation.

Professor Judith Driscoll FRS

Professor Judith Driscoll is Professor of Materials Science in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, and a Fellow of Trinity College. Her research is concerned with the nanoscale design and tuning of functional oxide thin film materials for energy-efficient electronic applications. A particular focus of her research group is oxide thin films, owing to their wide range of functionalities and their stability. However, their compositions tend to be complex, defects are prevalent, and interface effects play a strong role. Also, for many applications device structural dimensions are required down to nanometre length-scales. Together, all these factors produce exciting challenges for the materials scientist.

Professor Marie Edmonds FRS

Professor Marie Edmonds is Head of Department and Professor of Volcanology and Petrology in the Department of Earth Sciences. She is also a Fellow of Queens’ College. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of volcanoes on our environment and on the habitability of our planet. Her research spans the boundaries between traditional disciplines, from deciphering the nature of the interior of the Earth, to magma transport and storage in the crust, to volcano monitoring, understanding ore deposits and the dynamic chemistry of volcanic gases in the atmosphere and climate.

Professor Julian Hibberd FRS

Professor Julian Hibberd is Head of the Department of Plant Sciences and a Fellow of Emmanuel College. His research focuses on guiding optimisation of photosynthesis to improve crop yields. The C4 pathway is a complex form of photosynthesis that evolved around 30 million years ago and is now used by the most productive plants on the planet. Professor Hibberd has provided key insights into the evolution of C4 photosynthesis through analysis of plant physiology, cell specialisation, organelle development, and the control of gene expression.

Dr Gregory Jefferis FRS

Dr Gregory Jefferis is Joint Head of the Neurobiology Division at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Director of Research of the Department of Zoology. The broad goal of his research is to understand how smell turns into behaviour in the fruit fly brain. His group is particularly interested in how odour information is processed by the higher olfactory centres that mediate innate and learned behaviour.

Professor Jason Miller FRS

Professor Jason Miller is a Professor in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and a Fellow of Trinity College. His research interests are in probability, in particular stochastic interface models, random walk, mixing times for Markov chains, and interacting particle systems.

Professor Andrew Pitts FRS

Professor Andrew Pitts is Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science and Technology and an Emeritus Fellow of Darwin College. His research makes use of techniques from category theory, mathematical logic and type theory to advance the foundations of programming language semantics and theorem proving systems. His aim is to develop mathematical models and methods that aid language design and the development of formal logics for specifying and reasoning about programs. He is particularly interested in higher-order typed programming languages and in dependently typed logics.

Dr Marta Zlatic FRS

Dr Marta Zlatic is Programme Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Director of Research in the Department of Zoology. She is also a Fellow of Trinity College. Her research aims to understand the relationship between the structure of the nervous system and its function and to discover the basic principles by which neural circuits implement fundamental computations. A major focus of her research is the circuit implementation of learning and decision-making.

Nine outstanding Cambridge scientists have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences and the oldest science academy in continuous existence.

Tom MorrisEntrance to the Royal Society

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

YesLicence type: Attribution-ShareAlike

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome the latest cohort of outstanding researchers into the Fellowship of the Royal Society,” said Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society. “Their achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.

“The strength of the Fellowship lies not only in individual excellence, but in the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences each new member brings. This cohort represents the truly global nature of modern science and the importance of collaboration in driving scientific breakthroughs.”

The Fellows and Foreign Members join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.

The new Cambridge fellows are:

Professor Edward Bullmore FMedSci FRS

Professor Ed Bullmore is Professor of Psychiatry and former Head of the Department of Psychiatry. His research mainly involves the application of brain imaging to psychiatry. He has introduced an entirely original approach to the analysis of human brain anatomy, involving graph theory and its application to small-world networks. This has had an enormous impact on the field, especially in relation to understanding the biological basis of schizophrenia and depression. His work has been key to the understanding of the 'wiring' of the human brain.

Professor Gábor Csányi FRS

Professor Gábor Csányi is Professor of Molecular Modelling in the Department of Engineering, and a Fellow of Pembroke College. His work is in the field of computational chemistry, and is focused on developing algorithms to predict the properties of materials and molecules from first principles. He pioneered the application of machine learning to molecular modelling which lead to enormous gains in the efficiency of molecular dynamics simulation.

Professor Judith Driscoll FRS

Professor Judith Driscoll is Professor of Materials Science in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, and a Fellow of Trinity College. Her research is concerned with the nanoscale design and tuning of functional oxide thin film materials for energy-efficient electronic applications. A particular focus of her research group is oxide thin films, owing to their wide range of functionalities and their stability. However, their compositions tend to be complex, defects are prevalent, and interface effects play a strong role. Also, for many applications device structural dimensions are required down to nanometre length-scales. Together, all these factors produce exciting challenges for the materials scientist.

Professor Marie Edmonds FRS

Professor Marie Edmonds is Head of Department and Professor of Volcanology and Petrology in the Department of Earth Sciences. She is also a Fellow of Queens’ College. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of volcanoes on our environment and on the habitability of our planet. Her research spans the boundaries between traditional disciplines, from deciphering the nature of the interior of the Earth, to magma transport and storage in the crust, to volcano monitoring, understanding ore deposits and the dynamic chemistry of volcanic gases in the atmosphere and climate.

Professor Julian Hibberd FRS

Professor Julian Hibberd is Head of the Department of Plant Sciences and a Fellow of Emmanuel College. His research focuses on guiding optimisation of photosynthesis to improve crop yields. The C4 pathway is a complex form of photosynthesis that evolved around 30 million years ago and is now used by the most productive plants on the planet. Professor Hibberd has provided key insights into the evolution of C4 photosynthesis through analysis of plant physiology, cell specialisation, organelle development, and the control of gene expression.

Dr Gregory Jefferis FRS

Dr Gregory Jefferis is Joint Head of the Neurobiology Division at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Director of Research of the Department of Zoology. The broad goal of his research is to understand how smell turns into behaviour in the fruit fly brain. His group is particularly interested in how odour information is processed by the higher olfactory centres that mediate innate and learned behaviour.

Professor Jason Miller FRS

Professor Jason Miller is a Professor in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and a Fellow of Trinity College. His research interests are in probability, in particular stochastic interface models, random walk, mixing times for Markov chains, and interacting particle systems.

Professor Andrew Pitts FRS

Professor Andrew Pitts is Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science and Technology and an Emeritus Fellow of Darwin College. His research makes use of techniques from category theory, mathematical logic and type theory to advance the foundations of programming language semantics and theorem proving systems. His aim is to develop mathematical models and methods that aid language design and the development of formal logics for specifying and reasoning about programs. He is particularly interested in higher-order typed programming languages and in dependently typed logics.

Dr Marta Zlatic FRS

Dr Marta Zlatic is Programme Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Director of Research in the Department of Zoology. She is also a Fellow of Trinity College. Her research aims to understand the relationship between the structure of the nervous system and its function and to discover the basic principles by which neural circuits implement fundamental computations. A major focus of her research is the circuit implementation of learning and decision-making.

Nine outstanding Cambridge scientists have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences and the oldest science academy in continuous existence.

Tom MorrisEntrance to the Royal Society

The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright ©University of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways – on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

YesLicence type: Attribution-ShareAlike

Today we congratulate three members of our department, Dr Gregory Jefferis , Prof Claire Spottiswoode and Dr Marta Zlatić on being elected Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences. Fellowship of the Society is a significant honour. Fellows are elected for life, based on excellence in science...

Making the right decisions to protect species and habitats is crucial, but it's tough when scientific knowledge on conservation actions is scattered across thousands of studies. Even though resources like the Conservation Evidence database , contain searchable summaries of conservation actions and their outputs, finding...

The first robust global dataset on naked clam biology and growth has been assembled through painstaking research by a team based here in Cambridge. The paper, ‘ Naked clams: a comprehensive analysis of their global potential for commercial aquaculture ’ published today in the journal Reviews in Aquaculture, presents a...

A new study, co-authored by Dr William Foster and colleagues at the University of Exeter, published in the journal Current Biology, shows that while female wasps might have ‘miniature brains’ but they have excellent memories when it comes to feeding their young. The research, conducted on heathland in Surrey, shows that...

Scientists have long searched for a clear "start here" signal for DNA replication in the human genome. Research published this week in the journal Nucleic Acids Research by Dr Torsten Krude and students here in the Department of Zoology, in collaboration with colleagues at The Francis Crick Institute , reports important...

Congratulations to Prof William Sutherland , Director of Research and co-leader of the Conservation Science Group who has been elected a member of the American Philosophical Society . The APS is the oldest learned society in North America, founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin to bring together creative thinkers in the...

Amid the hype about AI’s potential to turbocharge human abilities, researchers here in Zoology and the Conservation Research Institute are leading conversations to make sure we advance with eyes wide open. Last year, Dr Sam Reynolds, a Research Associate in our Conservation Science Group joined 26 other conservation...

Two Research Assistant posts are available in the Connectomics Group directed by Greg Jefferis in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. We have obtained a Wellcome Discovery Award to proofread, annotate, and analyse the first mosquito brain connectome, with a focus on the chemosensory circuits involved in human host-seeking. Applicants will work with electron-microscopy image data, annotate and proofread automatically segmented reconstructions of neurons, develop open source tools for data analysis/processing, and perform neuron morphology, connectivity, graph/circuit analyses etc. to obtain biological insight. A background in neurobiology or a strong quantitative preparation (e.g. in bioinformatics/computer science) will be helpful.

Successful candidates will join a team based in Zoology with 15 team members, carrying out data processing and computational analysis of neuronal reconstruction data. They will interact closely with a similar team in the US as well as experimental groups in Cambridge (Greg Jefferis) and Boston (Meg Younger). Candidates will need to be highly motivated and develop a good understanding of the nature of the data and the scientific aims of the project. This will be critical to setting priorities as the project develops. Close teamwork and a collaborative spirit will be essential, but team members will have increasing opportunities for scientific independence as their expertise develops.

Candidates will report to a team leader based in Zoology and will be mentored by an experienced post-doc. There will be opportunities to contribute to training new team members as the group expands and to general project management, as well as to participate in public engagement activities.

The roles will be based on site in the Department of Zoology.

Interview dates: Interview in Cambridge between 16th and 20th June 2025 (may be conducted remotely under exceptional circumstances).

Fixed-term: The funds for these posts are available for two years, with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding. available for 2 years in the first instance.

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.

Flexible working requests will be considered.

We particularly welcome applications from women and candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our University.

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

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 PF45916 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.