Research Associate / Senior Research Associate in the Functional Morphology of Trilobite Eyes

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated postdoc to work on the HFSP-funded project, ‘Windows to the past: functional evolution of vision in trilobites’. The project aims to reconstruct how trilobites saw the world, determine how their vision contributed to their evolutionary success, and identify optical and neural principles that align with or diverge from modern arthropods.

The successful applicant will lead a sub-project focused on developing and applying new methods to predict the visual capabilities of trilobites from their preserved eye structure. This will involve using three-dimensional data from micro-CT and synchrotron tomography to reconstruct key morphological traits and employing geometric and optical modeling to explore their implications for vision.

You will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including Dr. Luke Parry (University of Oxford, UK: evolution of trilobite eyes) and Prof. Gil Ju Lee (Pusan National University, South Korea: biomimetic applications). Hybrid working is available, though you are expected to be in the department more than 50% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop an analytical pipeline to extract key morphological features from 3D data and use these to make functional predictions about trilobite vision.
• Build on and adapt existing Python-based tools for segmenting and analyzing compound eye structures (e.g., Currea et al. 2023, Comms Biol) for application to trilobite eyes.
• Develop novel technical elements, such as reconstructing or interpolating missing data from incomplete preservation of lens arrays or individual lenses.
• Investigate the potential visual capabilities of trilobite eyes across different taxa and light environments.
• Collaborate with palaeontologists to interpret evolutionary patterns in eye size, shape, and structure, and with engineers to exchange hypotheses on optical and neural function.

Requirements

• Creativity, analytical skills, and excitement about functional morphology and animal vision.
• Experience with extracting and analyzing 3D data and/or theoretical modeling of visual abilities or optical systems.
• Proficiency in geometric analysis using Python is ideal, but enthusiasm, commitment to learning, and demonstrable problem-solving ability are also acceptable.
• Ability to take initiative and solve problems logically and creatively.
• Commitment to accessible research, collaborative culture, and excellent data management practices.

Pay

Salary: £39,906–£44,746 (Grade I) or £43,482–£50,253 (Grade J) per annum (pro rata if part-time).

Schedule

• Contract type: Open-ended (fixed funding until 31/07/2029).
• Work pattern: Full-time (part-time will be considered).

For informal queries, contact Lauren Sumner-Rooney, Lecturer, via email: lauren.sumner-rooney@bristol.ac.uk.