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Department of Zoology

 

Postdoctoral Research Associate Centre for Pathogen Evolution (Fixed Term)

We invite applications for a postdoctoral Research Associate position to join the Centre for Pathogen Evolution in the Department of Zoology, located in central Cambridge. The appointment will be for a period of two years with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding, starting as soon as possible.

The research focus is to design and develop analytical, computational, and mathematical methods to understand the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. The aim is to translate this understanding into the prediction of possible future antigenic variants to guide trials of next generation influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Our research is highly interdisciplinary and involves substantial global collaboration with experimental virologists, immunologists and clinicians to quantify the selection pressures on influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses to better understand their evolutionary dynamics, and to inform control strategies. This position is funded by the US National Institutes of Health with a preferred start date of 1 May 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The role will be based on site in the department of Zoology, with hybrid working arrangements possible following agreement but some presence in the Department is expected for meetings and personal scientific interaction at least two days per week.

Please upload a copy of your CV (2 sides of A4 maximum) and a covering letter (2 sides of A4 maximum).

Interview dates: Interviews will be held between 11th and 18th March 2024 and may be conducted remotely.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for two years with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding.

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 PF40186 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.

Categories: Current Vacancies

Postdoctoral Research Associate Centre for Pathogen Evolution (Fixed Term)

Current Vacancies - Sat, 20/01/2024 - 00:00

We invite applications for a postdoctoral Research Associate position to join the Centre for Pathogen Evolution in the Department of Zoology, located in central Cambridge. The appointment will be for a period of two years with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding, starting as soon as possible.

The research focus is to design and develop analytical, computational, and mathematical methods to understand the fundamental processes that govern the evolution of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. The aim is to translate this understanding into the prediction of possible future antigenic variants to guide trials of next generation influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Our research is highly interdisciplinary and involves substantial global collaboration with experimental virologists, immunologists and clinicians to quantify the selection pressures on influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses to better understand their evolutionary dynamics, and to inform control strategies. This position is funded by the US National Institutes of Health with a preferred start date of 1 May 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The role will be based on site in the department of Zoology, with hybrid working arrangements possible following agreement but some presence in the Department is expected for meetings and personal scientific interaction at least two days per week.

Please upload a copy of your CV (2 sides of A4 maximum) and a covering letter (2 sides of A4 maximum).

Interview dates: Interviews will be held between 11th and 18th March 2024 and may be conducted remotely.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for two years with a possibility of extension subject to project status and funding.

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 PF40186 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.

Spanish butterflies better at regulating their body temperature than their British cousins

News from this site - Mon, 15/01/2024 - 14:34

Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction. An international study, led by the University of...

Categories: Latest News

Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer's rates in Europe

Cam ac uk zoology department feed - Wed, 10/01/2024 - 16:06

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank, and used it to map the historical spread of genes – and diseases – over time as populations migrated. 

Categories: Latest News

Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer's rates in Europe

Research News - Wed, 10/01/2024 - 16:06

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank, and used it to map the historical spread of genes – and diseases – over time as populations migrated. 

Spanish butterflies better at regulating their body temperature than their British cousins

Cam ac uk zoology department feed - Tue, 09/01/2024 - 04:32

Butterfly populations in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature, but rising global temperatures may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.

Categories: Latest News

Spanish butterflies better at regulating their body temperature than their British cousins

Research News - Tue, 09/01/2024 - 04:32

Butterfly populations in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature, but rising global temperatures may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.

Reducing inequality is essential in tackling climate crisis, researchers argue

Cam ac uk zoology department feed - Tue, 02/01/2024 - 10:32

In a report just published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers argue that tackling inequality is vital in moving the world towards Net-Zero – because inequality constrains who can feasibly adopt low-carbon behaviours.

They say that changes are needed across society if we are to mitigate climate change effectively. Although wealthy people have very large carbon footprints, they often have the means to reduce their carbon footprint more easily than those on lower incomes.

The researchers say there is lack of political recognition of the barriers that can make it difficult for people to change to more climate-friendly behaviours.

They suggest that policymakers provide equal opportunities for low-carbon behaviours across all income brackets of society.

The report defines inequality in various ways: in terms of wealth and income, political influence, free time, and access to low-carbon options such as public transport and housing insulation subsidies.

“It’s increasingly acknowledged that there’s inequality in terms of who causes climate change and who suffers the consequences, but there’s far less attention being paid to the effect of inequality in changing behaviours to reduce carbon emissions,” said Dr Charlotte Kukowski, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Cambridge Departments of Psychology and Zoology, and first author of the report.

She added: “People on lower incomes can be more restricted in the things they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint, in terms of the cost and time associated with doing things differently.”

The researchers found that deep-rooted inequalities can restrict people’s capacity to switch to lower-carbon behaviours in many ways. For example:

Insulating a house in the UK can be costly, and government subsidies are generally only available for homeowners; renters have little control over the houses they live in.

The UK has large numbers of old, badly insulated houses that require more energy to heat than new-build homes. The researchers call for appropriate government schemes that make it more feasible for people in lower income groups to reduce the carbon emissions of their home.

Cooking more meat-free meals: plant-based meat alternatives currently tend to be less affordable than the animal products they are trying to replace.

Eating more plant-based foods instead of meat and animal-derived products is one of the most effective changes an individual can make in reducing their carbon footprint.

Buying an electric car or an electric bike is a substantial upfront cost, and people who aren’t in permanent employment often can’t benefit from tax breaks or financing available through employer schemes.

Other low-carbon transport options - such as using public transport instead of a private car - are made less feasible for many due to poor services, particularly in rural areas.

Sometimes the lower-carbon options are more expensive - and this makes them less accessible to people on lower incomes.

“If you have more money you're likely to cause more carbon emissions, but you're also more likely to have greater ability to change the things you do and reduce those emissions,” said Dr Emma Garnett, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and second author of the report.

She added: “Interventions targeting high-emitting individuals are urgently needed, but also many areas where there are lower-carbon choices - like food and transport - need everyone to be involved.”

The researchers say that campaigns to encourage people to switch to lower-carbon behaviours have tended to focus on providing information. While this is important in helping people understand the issues, there can still be many barriers to making changes.

They suggest a range of policy interventions, such as urban planning to include bus and bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly routes, progressive taxation rates on wealth and income, and employer-subsidised low-carbon meal options.

The research was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Wellcome.

Reference: Kukowski, C.A. & Garnett, E.E.: ‘Tackling Inequality is Essential for Behaviour Change for Net Zero.’ Nature Climate Change, December 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01900-4

Promoting climate-friendly behaviours will be more successful in societies where everyone has the capacity: financially, physically, and timewise, to make changes.

People on lower incomes can be more restricted in the things they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint.Charlotte KukowskiRgStudio / GettyBusinesswoman commuting on electric bike


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 – as here, 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
Categories: Latest News

Reducing inequality is essential in tackling climate crisis, researchers argue

Research News - Tue, 02/01/2024 - 10:32

In a report just published in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers argue that tackling inequality is vital in moving the world towards Net-Zero – because inequality constrains who can feasibly adopt low-carbon behaviours.

They say that changes are needed across society if we are to mitigate climate change effectively. Although wealthy people have very large carbon footprints, they often have the means to reduce their carbon footprint more easily than those on lower incomes.

The researchers say there is lack of political recognition of the barriers that can make it difficult for people to change to more climate-friendly behaviours.

They suggest that policymakers provide equal opportunities for low-carbon behaviours across all income brackets of society.

The report defines inequality in various ways: in terms of wealth and income, political influence, free time, and access to low-carbon options such as public transport and housing insulation subsidies.

“It’s increasingly acknowledged that there’s inequality in terms of who causes climate change and who suffers the consequences, but there’s far less attention being paid to the effect of inequality in changing behaviours to reduce carbon emissions,” said Dr Charlotte Kukowski, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Cambridge Departments of Psychology and Zoology, and first author of the report.

She added: “People on lower incomes can be more restricted in the things they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint, in terms of the cost and time associated with doing things differently.”

The researchers found that deep-rooted inequalities can restrict people’s capacity to switch to lower-carbon behaviours in many ways. For example:

Insulating a house in the UK can be costly, and government subsidies are generally only available for homeowners; renters have little control over the houses they live in.

The UK has large numbers of old, badly insulated houses that require more energy to heat than new-build homes. The researchers call for appropriate government schemes that make it more feasible for people in lower income groups to reduce the carbon emissions of their home.

Cooking more meat-free meals: plant-based meat alternatives currently tend to be less affordable than the animal products they are trying to replace.

Eating more plant-based foods instead of meat and animal-derived products is one of the most effective changes an individual can make in reducing their carbon footprint.

Buying an electric car or an electric bike is a substantial upfront cost, and people who aren’t in permanent employment often can’t benefit from tax breaks or financing available through employer schemes.

Other low-carbon transport options - such as using public transport instead of a private car - are made less feasible for many due to poor services, particularly in rural areas.

Sometimes the lower-carbon options are more expensive - and this makes them less accessible to people on lower incomes.

“If you have more money you're likely to cause more carbon emissions, but you're also more likely to have greater ability to change the things you do and reduce those emissions,” said Dr Emma Garnett, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford and second author of the report.

She added: “Interventions targeting high-emitting individuals are urgently needed, but also many areas where there are lower-carbon choices - like food and transport - need everyone to be involved.”

The researchers say that campaigns to encourage people to switch to lower-carbon behaviours have tended to focus on providing information. While this is important in helping people understand the issues, there can still be many barriers to making changes.

They suggest a range of policy interventions, such as urban planning to include bus and bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly routes, progressive taxation rates on wealth and income, and employer-subsidised low-carbon meal options.

The research was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Wellcome.

Reference: Kukowski, C.A. & Garnett, E.E.: ‘Tackling Inequality is Essential for Behaviour Change for Net Zero.’ Nature Climate Change, December 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01900-4

Promoting climate-friendly behaviours will be more successful in societies where everyone has the capacity: financially, physically, and timewise, to make changes.

People on lower incomes can be more restricted in the things they can do to help reduce their carbon footprint.Charlotte KukowskiRgStudio / GettyBusinesswoman commuting on electric bike


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 – as here, 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

The Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement

Cam ac uk zoology department feed - Wed, 13/12/2023 - 09:20

Meet the winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement and learn more about their projects.

Categories: Latest News

The Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement

Research News - Wed, 13/12/2023 - 09:20

Meet the winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement and learn more about their projects.

Established Academic 2023

Cam ac uk zoology department feed - Wed, 13/12/2023 - 08:53

The Established Academic for 2023 is Professor William Sutherland and his research team at Conservation Evidence. 

Categories: Latest News

Established Academic 2023

Research News - Wed, 13/12/2023 - 08:53

The Established Academic for 2023 is Professor William Sutherland and his research team at Conservation Evidence. 

New Article and YouTube Video by Clalire Spottiswoode

News from this site - Mon, 11/12/2023 - 16:53

Culturally determined interspecies communication between humans and honeyguides Claire N. Spottiswoode and Brian M. Wood, Science Cambridge University Article YouTube Video Cited: Claire N. Spottiswoode, Brian M. Wood, Culturally determined interspecies communication between humans and honeyguides.Science382,1155-1158(2023...

Categories: Latest News