Postdoc insect vision UK

A 3-year postdoc position is currently available in the group of Dr Natalie Hempel de Ibarra to investigate insect vision using behavioural techniques and bees as a model system.

Insects, like many other animals, have colour vision, but they are equipped with small eyes that give only blurred views of the spatially complex world they often live in. As their vision differs so drastically from our own, some of the big questions are how colourful these views are for insects and how they find and recognise colourful objects. These questions can be well studied in bees, an important insect model system in ecological, behavioural and physiological research, and an important player in one of the most fascinating biological partnerships, the pollination of flowers by insects. In the current project the successful applicant will study in detail how bees see colours and patterns. One further goal of this research is to understand how the perception of coloured patterns in pollinating insects may have influenced the evolution of complex and colourful displays in flowers.

Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent in biological sciences, neuroscience or a related subject and have experience in planning and conducting behavioural experiments with animals. Previous experience with bees or other social insects or training techniques with unrestrained animals would be an advantage. Excellent knowledge of sensory biology and animal behaviour is required. For further information please contact Dr Natalie Hempel de Ibarra, e-mail N.Hempel@ex.ac.uk or telephone +44-(0)1392-264610.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION:
Please send your CV, covering letter and the details of three referees (PDF files only) to Karen Swanston (K.Swanston@exeter.ac.uk) quoting the reference number R10403 in any correspondence.

For more details go to
https://jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID%3d2329993ttg%1BUSESSION=4DCF3B1879664259BE7C9C6BFA47D168&WVID=3817591jNg&LANG=USA