Research Associate - Marine Behavioural Ecology Group (Fixed-term)

A computational researcher joins the Marine Behavioural Ecology Group (MBEG) in the Department of Zoology for a six-month project on how individual movement, predator-prey interactions and social interactions shape fish behaviour, using trajectory data and simulation. Fish trajectories record how individuals move and interact in detail, but recovering the behavioural rules behind them needs careful processing and quantitative analysis. The research associate develops and applies reproducible workflows for trajectory reconstruction, quality control, temporal alignment and extraction of kinematic and spatial measures; analyses individual and group movement and predator-prey interactions; and builds agent-based and evolutionary simulations to test how behavioural rules and selection could generate the observed patterns, working with Professor James Herbert-Read and other group members.

Funding covers six months from 1 February 2027, with a possible extension subject to funding; the salary range is £38,448-£46,970. Interviews are expected in the week commencing 16 November 2026.

A highly motivated computational researcher able to select and develop analytical methods, manage and progress computational research independently, and contribute to interpreting and presenting results in research outputs and reports. Flexible working requests are considered.