ABOUT US

Biosciences is one of the world’s foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences and one of the largest Divisions within UCL, undertaking a significant amount of research and teaching. The Division has a diverse portfolio addressing all areas of biology from protein interactions to cell function, organism development, genetics, population studies and the environment. Computational modelling approaches are frequently used alongside experimental research programmes and much of our research crosses traditional boundaries, including the relationship of biodiversity to the health of the planet. Activity is underpinned by high calibre science technology platforms and state of the art equipment. Educational activity includes a range of undergraduate programmes, an expanding number of Masters Programmes and a substantial number of postgraduate research students.
This is an exciting opportunity to join an interdisciplinary team of researchers from UCL on a Future Leaders Fellowship-funded project that will innovate the use of air quality monitoring networks for biodiversity data capture using environmental DNA isolated from the air. Airborne environmental DNA provides a unique snapshot of aboveground biodiversity across taxonomic groups (from microorganisms to vertebrates), potentially allowing the measurement of ecosystem functional resilience and ecosystem service provision. The research fellow will primarily be based at the People and Nature Lab on the new UCL East campus. The People and Nature Lab is a collaborative group of researchers addressing the intersection between biodiversity, technology, the built environment and society to create new ways for societies and nature to sustainably coexist. Collaborators include Professor David Murrell (UCL) and Dr Martin Wilkes (University of Essex).

ABOUT THE ROLE

Dr Littlefair has been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship which will investigate how ecological communities are responding to human impacts globally and deliver technological solutions to the problem of scale in biodiversity monitoring using the air quality networks. We are seeking an experienced postdoctoral scientist to carry out field, laboratory and bioinformatics research associated with the Future Leaders Fellowship. Your role will be to conduct laboratory and field experiments characterising the nature and dispersion of airborne eDNA. You will conduct fieldwork and work closely with Dr Martin Wilkes (co-investigator, University of Essex) to experimentally validate models of particulate dispersal which will allow us to estimate the effects of wind flow on sampling. You will also use long-term datasets collected by national air quality networks to explain finescale temporal variation in species richness, turnover, and community composition, and how these change over time according to environmental variation and human impacts.
This role is an open-ended contract with a funding end date of 31/08/2028 in the first instance. Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Grade 6B with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD Thesis.
This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.
Interviews will take place in late March 2025.
A job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have any queries about the role, please contact Dr Joanne Littlefair at j.littlefair@ucl.ac.uk. If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact the HR Administrator (e.avisse@ucl.ac.uk).

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan and expenses
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insuranc