We are recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a NERC-funded Pushing the Frontiers project on development-centric demography and adaptation under environmental change.
The NERC-funded project develops a new development-centric framework for understanding adaptation under environmental change. Current models often treat phenotypes as fixed traits, overlooking the developmental processes through which organisms construct their phenotypes, creating a key “phenotypic gap” in demographic theory. The project integrates modelling, experiments and empirical data to understand how developmental trajectories (e.g. growth, maturation and resource allocation) shape survival, reproduction and adaptive potential. By treating organisms as active systems that regulate their own development and modify their environments, the work aims to improve predictions of population resilience and evolutionary responses to environmental change. The project builds on recent work developing a “development-centric” approach to demography (see Smallegange 2026, Academia Biology for an overview).
The postdoc will develop and apply novel modelling approaches integrating development, energetics, and demography to understand adaptation and extinction risk under environmental change, working closely with empirical components of the project.
 
This is a full time, fixed term role available for the duration of 34 months.
For all informal enquiries please contact isabel.smallegange@ncl.ac.uk 
Key Accountabilities
-Develop and implement novel demographic and evolutionary models that incorporate developmental processes
-Lead the design and analysis of simulation studies to test hypotheses about adaptation under environmental change
-Integrate empirical data with modelling outputs to inform theory development
-Collaborate with project partners to align modelling with experimental and field components
-Contribute to the development of a coherent modelling framework across project work packages
-Publish research findings in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
-Present research at conferences and contribute to stakeholder-facing outputs
-Support open and reproducible research practices, including code sharing and documentation
-Contribute to a collaborative and inclusive research environment
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours
-Demonstrable experience in quantitative or computational modelling
-Strong programming skills (e.g. R, MatLab, or similar)
-Ability to develop and analyse mathematical or simulation-based models
-Evidence of scientific writing (e.g. publications, preprints, or thesis chapters)
-Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines
-Strong organisational and communication skills
Desirable
-Experience in demographic or eco-evolutionary modelling
-Familiarity with trait-based or individual-based modelling approaches
-Experience working with empirical ecological or experimental data
-Interest in linking theory to applied conservation or adaptation challenges
Qualifications
-PhD in ecology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, applied mathematics, or a related field (Research Associate)
-Near Completion of a PhD in in ecology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, applied mathematics, or a related field (Research Assistant)
More information and application: https://jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastle-Research-AssistantAssociate-in-Eco-Evolutionary-Demographic-Modelling/1385317433/
Isabel Smallegange
Location: Newcastle University, UK
Start date: Summer 2026
Closing date: 17 May 2026
Interviews: 2 and 5 June 2026
Please circulate to anyone who may be interested.

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