Research Assistant in Primate

 

Primate Cognitive Neuroscience Lab Manager and Research Assistant

The University of Chicago
Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute
Neuroscience Institute
Chicago, IL

General Summary:

The laboratory of David Freedman in the Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute at The University of Chicago investigates the neuronal mechanisms of visual learning, memory and decision making and is looking for a full-time research assistant to provide support for its research with non-human primates. The successful candidate will enjoy working in a dynamic team of around a dozen graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and reserach assistants, and contributing to cutting-edge scientific research on the mechanisms of cognition and learning in the non-human primate brain. The position is full time and includes salary and benefits.

The laboratory is located on the main campus of The University of Chicago, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

Essential Functions:

Assisting in maintaining and documenting animal health and welfare (10%); assisting in training nonhuman primates (M. Mulatta) to perform computer-based behavioral tasks (50%); maintaining and documenting the supply of laboratory consumables and equipment (10%); maintaining equipment and experimental rooms (10%); training, collaborating, and assisting new laboratory personnel (10%); assisting in surgery and other minor procedures (5%); and handling various administrative and technical tasks (5%).

Qualifications:  Education and/or experience in animal research is required. Requires working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other related software; must be able to produce written reports of completed work and procedures; previous experience in a behavioral, cognitive, or neurophysiology laboratory and/or experience with non-human primates preferred.

Mental Demands:  Ability to conduct and coordinate multiple projects, general ability to troubleshoot and solve problems independently with limited direction, ability to work accurately with attention to detail.

Physical Demands: Responsibilities may require walking, standing, bending, and moderate weight lifting and carrying.

Interested candidates are encouraged to send a resume/CV and brief statement of career goals to Dr. Freedman at dfreedman@uchicago.edu.

Contact Information:
David J. Freedman, Ph.D.

Website:
http://www.freedmanlab.org

E-mail Address:

dfreedman@uchicago.edu

Two PhD (postdoc) Positions in the Evolutionary Cognition Group

 We are offering two 4-year PhD positions in the Evolutionary Cognition Group of the Department of
Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Zurich.
The candidates will be hired for the SNF project The Evolutionary Roots of Altercentrism. In a broader
team, we investigate whether altercentric effects on cognition are unique to humans, or instead also
present in nonhuman primates. A strong focus is on the cooperatively breeding marmosets, who may be
particularly susceptible to altercentric influences, and on how altercentrism may be influenced by dyadic
and group properties such as bond strength, prosociality, and inter-individual synchronization at various
levels (physiological with thermography, hormonal, behavioral and communicative). To identify
evolutionary pathways toward altercentrism, additional nonhuman primate species will be tested.
The project combines cutting-edge technologies: experiments and observations supported by computer
vision and machine learning, gaze tracking, thermography, hormonal analyses, automated sound location
and RIFD controlled tasks. Candidates with expertise in at least one oft these techniques are particularly
welcome to apply.
The successful candidate is expected to
- be interested in animal cognition and communication and contribute to shaping the project
- perform cognitive tests and collect observational data with marmosets
- have previous experience with one of the above mentioned techniques, or a strong interest in it
- collect data in additional nonhuman primate species
- possess a solid background in statistics and data processing
- be fluent in English (oral, written)
Candidates should have a Msc degree or equivalent and a relevant training background in Biology,
Psychology, or Evolutionary Anthropology. They will be part of the PhD program in Evolutionary Biology
of the University of Zurich. The start of the positions is ideally in October 2026, or upon agreement. We
may also consider postdoc applications for one of the positions.
Please submit your application in a single pdf to judith.burkart@iea.uzh.ch, ideally until May 20, 2026.
Applications should include a cover letter stating your motivation and how your expertise fits in this
project (1 page), a CV, a copy of the highest degree obtained, and the names of two referees.
We take gender balance and diversity seriously in our hiring decisions

Fully funded PhD opportunity at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.

 

Open to UK, EU, and international applicants.

Background: Many mammals regularly use burrows as resting sites, predation refuges, and breeding dens. Burrows also aid thermoregulation by buffering extreme temperature fluctuations, making them vital as mammals adjust to a changing world. Despite the crucial functions burrows fulfil, we still know little about how their architecture influences their value as shelters and nurseries, and how animals interact with their subterranean environment. This exciting, multi-disciplinary, technology-driven PhD aims to clarify how the structure of breeding and sleeping burrows affects the lives of their occupants, using an exceptional long-term study of wild Kalahari meerkats (Suricata suricatta).

Full details and application portal available here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-doctorate/phd-mapping-the-manor-burrow-architecture-and-its-consequences-in-wild-kalahari-meerkats-cramdu26biolvh

Application deadline: 30^th April

Questions? Contact Dom Cram d.cram@uea.ac.uk

Offre de stage

 OFFRE DE STAGE / 2026
Effet d’un additif alimentaire sur le comportement et la caudophagie chez le porc
Le bien-être animal est une attente sociétale forte pour l’élevage porcin. Des normes réglementaires européennes encadrent fortement les conditions de conduite et de logement des animaux.
Depuis plusieurs années la filière porcine s’est engagée vers l’arrêt de pratiques qui affectent l’intégrité physique des animaux et qui entrainent de la douleur pour l’animal : meulage des dents, castration à vif des porcelets, coupe de la queue. L’arrêt de la caudectomie entraine un risque accru de caudophagie, c’est-à-dire de morsures au niveau de la queue, préjudiciables à la santé et au bien-être des porcs. Plusieurs solutions sont testées pour réduire le risque de morsures, sur les conditions de conduite ou de logement des animaux : densité, enrichissement du milieu de vie des porcs, alimentation des animaux…
Un fabricant d’aliment a conçu un additif alimentaire, à base d’extraits de plantes, dont l’objectif est de diminuer la nervosité des animaux. L’objet du stage est de mesurer l’impact de cet additif sur le comportement de porcs, et de vérifier si cela ce traduit par une diminution du risque de caudophagie.
Contenu du stage
L’étude réalisée à la station expérimentale de la Chambre d’agriculture de Bretagne se déroulera sur 2 bandes de porcelets et de porcs charcutiers élevés sur caillebotis (début des expérimentations sur les 2 lots les 4/06/2026 et 29/10/2026).
Sur la durée du stage, le travail consistera à caractériser la nervosité et le comportement des porcs (analyse de photos, observations directes du comportement), à participer à la pesée individuelle des animaux, à qualifier l’état des queues (longueur, état de queues).
Ce travail sera réalisé en lien avec l’équipe de la station de Crécom, le maître de stage et des ingénieurs de l’équipe en charge de cette étude.
Conditions d’accueil
Durée du stage : 3 à 4 mois à partir de juin 2026
Lieu : Station expérimentale de Crécom (22480 Saint Nicolas du Pélem)
Indemnité mensuelle : Maison sur site mise gratuitement à disposition du stagiaire (maison confortable) + indemnité repas de 4 €/jour de travail + gratification selon barème en vigueur au sein de la Chambre d’agriculture de Bretagne (4,35€/heure).
Profil souhaité
Elève Ingénieur ou Master ayant des attraits pour l’élevage et le comportement animal, aimant travailler en équipe et en autonomie.
Encadrement
Claudie Guyomarc’h, responsable de la station expérimentale porcine de Crécom et Nicolas Villain, chargé d’études sur le comportement et le bien-être animal à la Chambre d’agriculture de Bretagne. Merci d’envoyer votre candidature (CV + lettre de motivation) par mail : claudie.guyomarch@bretagne.chambagri.fr (06 62 76 75 19)

PhD position in field-based ape

The Department of Human Origins at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) is currently seeking Qualified applicants (m/f/d) for a PhD position in field-based human and/or ape locomotor biomechanics.

 

Who are we looking for?

The PhD student will work within a new Minerva Fast Track Research Group led by Dr. Charlotte King focused on human and ape locomotor biomechanics and ecomorphology. We are offering a PhD position to investigate the locomotor biomechanics of great apes, including humans, through experimental approaches. This project provides the opportunity to contribute to our understanding human origins by examining the functional morphology of living apes as models to reconstruct locomotor evolution in our extinct hominin relatives. The research will integrate field-based data collection with computational and quantitative analyses.

We seek a candidate with a strong interest in human origins and competency in computational approaches to data processing and analysis. Candidates with prior fieldwork experience with primates or other mammals will be prioritized.

Essential criteria include:

• A completed Master`s degree (including M.Sc. thesis) in biological anthropology, zoology, biomechanics, ecology and evolution, biology, ethology, or a related topic.
• Excellent academic performance and strong motivation to pursue a PhD
• Fluent in written and spoken English (which is the working-language of the Institute)
• Willingness, and ideally previous experience, to conduct fieldwork-based research
• Willingness to collaborate effectively and have strong teamwork skills

Desired skills:

 

• Experience with machine learning applications
• Experience with biomechanical recording equipment (e.g., 3D motion capture, force)
• Interest in primate functional morphology and behaviour
• Experience with field-based research on primate or other mammals

 

What do we offer?

• Highly integrative projects that require a willingness to embrace multiple disciplines and close collaborations with other researchers with different backgrounds.
• State-of-the-art equipment.
• An excellent research environment.
• A structured training program.
• German language courses are offered (German language skills are not required)
• Successful candidates will obtain a 3-year Ph.D. position corresponding to TVöD Bund (Collective Wage Agreement for the Public Service): The doctoral funding contracts combine research in scientific freedom with social security. They allow doctoral researchers to devote themselves independently to their scientific work without any constraints.
• The agreed working time currently amounts to 39 hours per week.
• Consumables and equipment required for the project will be covered by the department.
• Selected Ph.D. students would ideally start at the beginning of September 2026 (and a Master’s degree must be completed by this date).
• The candidates will be enrolled within the International Max Planck Research School “The Leipzig School of Human Origins” (IMPRS-LSHO: link for more information find here).

 

You want to apply?

Interested applicants should apply only via our online recruiting system (link, also see below).

For questions (no applications), please write to Dr. Charlotte King, Minerva Group Leader, Dept. of Human Origins at origins_office@eva.mpg.de. 

Applications should include:

• Cover letter (max. 2 pages), outlining your previous research experience, your specific area(s) of research interest, and a brief overview of potential research directions or questions that interest you within the scope of the project.
• Curriculum vitae with the names and contact information of at least two referees.
• Scientific certificates (B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees)

All electronic applications should be submitted by April 30th, 2026.

The Max Planck Society and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology are committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and gender equality. We actively support the compatibility of work and family and have set ourselves the goal of employing more severely disabled people and groups that are underrepresented in science, especially in the given field of activity. Therefore, we explicitly encourage them to apply and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

The aim of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA) in Leipzig/Germany is to investigate the evolutionary history of humankind with the help of comparative analyses of genes, morphology, cultures, cognitive abilities, languages and social systems of past and present human populations as well as those of primates closely related to human beings.

The collaboration of the different departments – representing the natural, social, and human sciences – at one institute leads to new insights into history, variety, and abilities of the human species. The institute unites scientists with various research interests who are concerned with human evolution seen also from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Great attention is paid to cooperation between the departments in the institute. The focus of the Department of Human Origins (Director: Dr. Tracy Kivell) is on early hominin and ape evolution and the reconstruction of behaviour in the past using high-resolution imaging, experimental biomechanics and archaeology, and the study of living primates (including humans).

 

We look forward to receiving your completed

 

https://www.eva.mpg.de/human-origins/positions-available/?tx_evaumantis_showpositions%5Baction%5D=show&tx_evaumantis_showpositions%5Bcontroller%5D=Position&tx_evaumantis_showpositions%5Bdepartment%5D=Abteilung%20Menschliche%20Urspr%C3%BCnge&tx_evaumantis_showpositions%5Blang%5D=en&tx_evaumantis_showpositions%5Bposition%5D=676&cHash=9a8fc726327f3c0c7d813419d18d8506

Fully funded PhD opportunity at the University of Bristol and Macquarie University.

 

Fully funded PhD opportunity available to quantify animal movement patterns and behavioural interactions in a changing world. The PhD will involve integration of new movement modelling and rich empirical data from both dwarf mongoose groups and individually tagged zebra finches: the data can be used to parameterise models and improve realism; models can generate predictions that can be tested with the empirical data. The student would be based for the first half of the PhD in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, UK (hosted by Prof. Andy Radford) and then in the School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia (hosted by Prof. Simon Griffith); a joint studentship under a Cotutelle arrangement between the two universities who fund half each.

A key part of the project is further development of analytical movement modelling under the tuition of co-supervisor Prof. Luca Giuggioli (Engineering Maths, Bristol); candidates should therefore have a strong track record in mathematical and/or computational skills. Large existing datasets will then be used to test model predictions; candidates should therefore have good experience of (or be willing to learn) sophisticated statistical analysis methods. There will also be the opportunity for fieldwork in Australia on the long-term zebra finch population.

Full details are available here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/funded-phd-quantifying-animal-movement-patterns-and-behavioural-interactions-in-a-changing-world/?p188221

Application deadline is: 19^th April 2026

For any enquiries, please contact Andy Radford (andy.radford@bristol.ac.uk)