Postdoctoral fellow in Biology

Subject description

How do migratory birds perform their migration? Which are the physiological limitations to how birds can manage their migration? Are birds somehow limited by their thermoregulation during long flights?

By using state-of-the-art tracking technology developed at Lund University, we have recently discovered a most astonishing altitudinal flight behaviour in migratory birds. Before, birds have been thought to preferably migrate below 2,000 m and fly steadily at a given altitude. However, the birds in our studies did not only fly extremely high (up to 6-8000 m), but they also changed their flight altitudes more often than expected. Intriguingly, flight altitudes changed in a systematic way, being 2-4000 m higher during diurnal compared to the nocturnal parts of the flights. So why did all these birds cruise at seemingly favorable altitudes for 10 hours at night, just to climb several thousand meters soon before the sun rises? Is there something with the physiology of the bird that makes the bird fly this high during diurnal flight? What is the costs of this behaviour?

The observed altitude change between nocturnal and diurnal flights opens up for a number of new questions and hypotheses regarding migration ecology and physiology of birds. This postdoc will work in an experimental setup (birds flying in a wind tunnel) to study physiological costs and constraints related to the observed extreme diel cycles in flight altitudes.

Work duties

The main duties involved in a post-doctoral posistion is to conduct research. Teaching may also be included, but up to no more than 20% of working hours. The position shall include the opportunity for three weeks of training in higher education teaching and learning.

The project will be carried out in close collaboration with Prof Christopher Guglielmo, Western University, Canada, and most of the experimental work will be performed in Canada. The postdoc will be responsible for carrying out experimental work with birds flying in wind tunnels and at times the research might require long workdays over prolonged periods of time. Additionally, the postdoc is expected to analyse the data and contribute to the dissemination of the results by presenting results at conferences and produce high quality scientific papers. The postdoc is also expected to play an active part in the research environment and will be responsible for the administration related to the work. A certain amount of travelling is foreseen in relation to the activities within the project.  

Qualification requirements

Appointment to a post-doctoral position requires that the applicant has a PhD, or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the date of employment decision. Under special circumstances, the doctoral degree can have been completed earlier. The postdoc is suitable for candidates with a background in avian physiology and a strong interest in migration ecology and behaviour.

Additional requirements:

• Expert knowledge of avian physiology and physiology of flight
• Documented analytical and statistical skills (e.g. statistical programming in R)
• Demonstrated skills in scientific publishing
• Ability to work in groups as well as independently
• Excellent oral and written proficiency in English.

In addition to the mandatory requirements, documented experience in the following areas will be considered as strong merits:

• Experience of working with birds in wind tunnel setups
  
  

Assessment criteria and other qualifications

This is a career development position primarily focused on research. The position is intended as an initial step in a career, and the assessment of the applicants will primarily be based on their research qualifications and potential as researchers.

Particular emphasis will be placed on research skills within the subject.

For appointments to a post-doctoral position, the following shall form the assessment criteria:

• A good ability to develop and conduct high quality research.
• Teaching skills.

Additional assessment criteria:

Demonstrated skills working with avian physiology in experimental setups Experience in handling and working with wild birds Motivation for the specific project[SS1] 

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.

Terms of employment

This is a full-time, fixed-term employment of a maximum of 2 years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow”) between Lund University, SACO-S and OFR/S, dated 1st February 2022.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and be compiled into a PDF-file containing:

• Résumé/CV, including a list of publications,
• A general description of past research and future research interests (no more than three pages),
• Contact information of at least two references,
• Copy of the doctoral degree certificate, and other certificates/grades that you wish to be considered.