Hiring Organization:
Oxford Brookes University
Date Posted:
2011-03-25
Position Description:
The position of Post Doctoral Researcher has become available as a result of a 36-month Leverhulme Trust funded research grant being awarded to Dr K.A.I. Nekaris. The main aim of this project is to investigate the ecological context, function and constitution of slow loris venom. The study of the venomous systems of animals has provided fascinating insight into their ecology and has yielded promising pharmacological advances. Venom is produced only by six mammals, including one primate - Asian slow lorises, and little is known about its function. Through a novel ecological field study of semi-free ranging and wild slow lorises, we will examine if loris venom has evolved to target prey, predators or ecto-parasites. Laboratory analyses will help to resolve further what makes slow lorises the only poisonous primates, and how this revelation may impact mammal evolution and loris conservation.
The researcher will conduct experiments in the field over several months and conduct the laboratory analyses. He/she is to exercise day to day operational task management of the project. He/she will take the lead in developing experimental scenarios within the project and will lead on the analysis and coding of the collected data. Working with co-PI Bryan Grieg Fry and a lab assistant in the laboratory, as well as alongside a PhD student in the field, the researcher will play a key role in characterising the function and purpose of loris venom.
The project will be conducted in collaboration with Bryan Grieg Fry at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, and some travel to Australia, as well as to the field site (to be named upon further inquiry) will be required as part of the project.
You will be responsible for:
--Exercising day to day operational task management of the project
--Developing experiments with semi-captive lorises to help determine function of slow loris venom.
--Working with a veterinarian, obtain samples from slow lorises for analysis.
--Analysing samples in the lab using standard biochemical methods, including mass spectrometry, gas chromatography and genetic analyses.
--Qualitative and statistical analysis of collected data and working with a PhD student to relate semi-captive data to data from forest-dwelling lorises.
--Travelling to Australia and the field site for lab work and field work.
--Assisting in writing up the results of this research for scientific publication and presentation at national and international conferences.
--Any other duties commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the necessary, experience and/or training.
Qualifications/Experience:
--PhD in Zoology or in a relevant area such as Ecology or Biological Anthropology.
--Experience conducting controlled experiments with live animals
--Experience with at least one of the following -- analysis using mass spectrometry, gas chromatography and/or DNA sequencing
--Experience conducting phylogenetic analyses
--Good knowledge of multivariate statistical analysis.
--A record of peer-reviewed publications and international/national conference presentations.
Salary/funding:
Grade point 24 £25,101, rising annually to Grade point 26 £26,629
Support provided for internship/volunteer positions (travel, meals, lodging):
Some travel and equipment are part of the grant.
Term of Appointment:
July 1st 2011-30 June 2014
Application Deadline:
to be announced - most likely late May 2011
Comments:
The official deadline will be posted as soon as it is made available by the University. In the meantime, please contact Dr Anna Nekaris with a c.v. and a letter of interest.
Contact Information:
Dr Anna Nekaris
Gipsy Lane Campus, Headington, Oxford Brookes University, Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences and Law
Oxford OX30BP
United Kingdom
Website:
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/primate/home.htm
E-mail Address:
anekaris@brookes.ac.uk