How memory evolves: Integrating Cognitive Ecology, Neuroscience and Experimental Evolution in Drosophila
Supervisor: Professor Elli Leadbeater (UCL)
Co-supervisors: Professor Max Reuter (UCL); Dr Florencia Camus (UCL); Dr Tamara Boto (Bristol University)
Associative memory is one of the most fundamental building blocks of the animal mind, but it is far from a singular, uniform process. Our research group is using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to explore how associative memory evolves in response to different ecological selection pressures, what constrains its evolution, and how changes to memory affect performance in ecologically realistic tasks. We are looking for a PhD student who is interested in combining experimental evolution, psychology, ecology and neuroscience to understand the relationship between short- and long-term memory phases, and their roles in foraging and oviposition behaviour. The core work will involve creating memory-based selection lines, performing cognitive assays and measuring life-history traits, but the project is open to development in various directions according to the successful applicant’s interests and experience, which might include transcriptomics, neurogenetics and/or evolutionary ecology. This is an unusual opportunity to understand cognitive evolution by capitalizing on an experimental model with well-understood neuroscience and the potential to evolve in the lab.
About you: A BSc degree is essential, and we welcome applicants from relevant subject backgrounds such as Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Psychology, Genetics or Animal Behaviour. Experience of working with insects is desirable but not critical, but strong evidence of motivation and experience of independent research (e.g. through a BSc or MSc project in a relevant area) is very important. A collegiate research culture is critical for us and we are keen to find applicants who contribute to all aspects of research life, including outreach and departmental culture initiatives. The project has guaranteed funding for 3.5 years from October 2026, but unfortunately (due to funding limits) is open to UK Home Students
About us: The project is based at the UCL Bloomsbury Campus in Central London, in the research group of Professor Elli Leadbeater (lead supervisor). The supervisory team also includes expertise in Evolutionary Genetics (Professor Max Reuter) alongside life-history evolution and metabolism (Dr Florencia Camus). You will be based in the vibrant Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, and will be a key part of the Horizon Europe UK Underwrite ERC project ECOLLIGENCE, but will also benefit from the expertise of Dr Tamara Boto (University of Bristol; neuroscience of learning and memory). The wider research grouping within UCL contains many other PhD students and postdocs also using experimental evolution approaches, alongside researchers working on bee behaviour and cognition, with whom you would interact regularly.
Interested applicants are strongly advised to contact Professor Elli Leadbeater (Ellouise.Leadbeater@ucl.ac.uk)
to discuss the position before applying. Full details can be found here: