MEAVE LEAKEY POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

The Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) founded by Dr. Richard Leakey at Stony Brook University is pleased to announce a postdoctoral opportunity. The Meave Leakey Postdoctoral Scholar, named in honor of Dr. Meave Leakey’s extraordinary contributions to the understanding of human and primate evolution in the Turkana Basin, will join the SHaPE (Studies in Human and Primate Evolution) Lab in the Department of Anthropology. This collaborative research group is dedicated to advancing integrative scholarship on the evolutionary history of cercopithecoids, apes, and humans. The position is for one year, with the possibility of an extension.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in biological anthropology, anatomy, vertebrate paleontology, evolutionary biology, or a related field, awarded by the start date.
• Demonstrated record of research excellence and potential for scholarly development.
• Strong interest in collaborative, interdisciplinary research in the Turkana Basin.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A record of peer-reviewed publications.
• Expertise in the use of 3D imaging programs (e.g., Dragonfly, Avizo, or VG Studio).
• Competency with statistical software (e.g., R).

POSITION DESCRIPTION

We seek a highly motivated scholar whose research focuses on evolutionary questions grounded in the Turkana Basin. Areas of interest may include (but are not limited to): hominin, ape and cercopithecoid evolution, vertebrate paleontology, functional morphology, ontogeny, taxonomy and/or phylogenetics. The successful candidate will work closely with SHaPE Lab faculty (Mongle, Russo, Rossie, Grine) and other TBI researchers to pursue independent research and contribute to ongoing projects, with facilitated access to world-class fossil collections, field work, and analytical resources.

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Job Number: 2502527
Official Job Title: Postdoctoral Associate
Job Field: Administrative & Professional (non-Clinical)
Primary Location: US-NY-Stony Brook
Department/Hiring Area: Turkana Basin Institute
Schedule: Full-time Shift :Day Shift Shift Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm
Posting Start Date: Aug 27, 2025
Posting End Date: Sep 28, 2025, 10:59:00 PM
Salary:$54,000-$70,000 (receive $4000 location pay)
Appointment Type: Temporary
Salary Grade:NSR2
SBU Area:Stony Brook Universit

• Carry out research in field of specialization in the SHaPE Lab at Stony Brook University under the supervision of lab faculty (Mongle, Russo, Rossie, Grine) to contribute to ongoing lab research projects in the Turkana Basin.
• Manuscript writing for publication in scientific journals, lab presentations, conference and seminar attendance and presentation.
• Lab management, oversight/supervision of graduate and undergraduate research, providing training in various research methods.
• Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission.