Postdoctoral Fellow: Deep-Time Brain Evolution & Cognition

The University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Edinburgh seeks an interdisciplinary scientist to join the Deep Time Cognition team, studying how brains and cognition evolved over deep time. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Professor Stephen Brusatte and others, analyzing fossil data and CT scans to understand neuroanatomy across 350+ million years of evolution.

The role uses Bayesian statistics to test brain-size trends, link neuron counts to extant species, and help model cognition in extinct species, contributing to

Responsibilities

• Gather and synthesize data on brain anatomy, size, and shape across tetrapods using CT brain endocasts.
• Apply Bayesian statistics to test brain size trends over time and phylogeny.
• Collaborate with Brusatte, PhD students, and external co-PIs to model cognition in extinct species.

Skills

Interdisciplinary science

Bayesian statistics

Cognition research

Job description

The University of Edinburgh seeks an interdisciplinary scientist to join the Deep Time Cognition team, studying how brains and cognition evolved over deep time. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Professor Stephen Brusatte and others, analyzing fossil data and CT scans to understand neuroanatomy across 350+ million years of evolution.

The role uses Bayesian statistics to test brain-size trends, link neuron counts to extant species, and help model cognition in extinct species, contributing to