Faculty of Science
School of Biological Sciences
Senior Research Associate in Evolutionary Genomics
Ref: RA2424
Starting salary from £38,784 per annum, dependent on skills and experience, with an annual increment up to £46,049 per annum.
You will be part of Dr Karl Grieshop research group (https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/karl-grieshop/; https://grieshoplab.com/), and work on an exciting new project aiming to understand the evolutionary predictability of sex- and age-specific fitness in Drosophila, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). For evolutionary biology to provide solutions to contemporary issues in human society, conservation biology, and medicine, evolution must be predictable. But whether species evolve repeatable molecular solutions to common adaptive challenges remains an open question. Sex and aging represent two of the most consistent challenges for multicellular life, with dynamic consequences for population viability and health. Extant species have successfully navigated cooperation, conflict, and resolution between sexes and age-classes, where convergent molecular adaptations offer valuable potential solutions to challenges in conservation biology and human health. By evaluating sex- and age-specific fitness across ten independent Drosophila lineages spanning 1–70 million years of divergence, this project will reveal whether evolution has predictable genomic feaures, and why or why not.
You will have a postgraduate level research degree (PhD or equivalent qualification/experience) in a relevant research area (such as evolutionary biology, population genetics, genomics, or bioinformatics) and be able to work in a collaborative and dynamic research environment. This will be a mixed laboratory and computational post, where you will be responsible for leading the design and execution of experimental breeding programs in Drosophila, and then processing and analysing high-throughput sequencing data from these experiments.
You should have experience working with laboratory insect models, bioinformatics, and high-performance computing. Expertise in read mapping, allele frequency estimation from pooled sequencing (Pool-seq), statistical genetics, phylogenetic comparative methods, or experience with Drosophila would be particularly beneficial. You should have a strong interest in evolutionary biology, population genetics, and the molecular basis of fitness.
This full-time post is available from 1 February 2027 on a fixed term basis for three years.
We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. We particularly welcome applicants with the protected characteristic of disability, and race (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) for this post, as they are currently underrepresented at this level within the School. Appointment will be made on merit and all applicants will be scored against the same criteria.
Benefits include:
- 44 days annual leave inclusive of Bank Holidays and University Customary days (pro rata for part-time).
- Family and Work-life balance policies including hybrid working and considerable maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption leave.
- Generous pension scheme with life cover for dependants, plus incapacity cover.
- Health and Wellbeing: discounted access to Sportspark facilities, relaxation rooms, 320 acres of rolling parkland, wellbeing walks, Wellbeing Ambassador network, on-campus medical centre including NHS Dentist, Occupational Health and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- Campus Facilities: Sportspark, library, nursery, supermarket, post office, bars and catering outlets.
- Exclusive shopping discounts to help cut the cost of household bills, childcare salary sacrifice scheme, Cycle to Work scheme and public transport discounts.
- Personal Development: unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning courses, specialist advice and training from our Organisational Development and Professional Learning Team.
Closing date: 30 November 2026
The University holds an Athena Swan Silver Institutional Award in recognition of our advancement towards gender equality.