Animal Physiology and Behavior Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Updated: about 20 hours ago
Location: Mount Pleasant, MICHIGAN
Deadline: ;

Position Information
Position Information


Posting Number F-1031
Position Title Animal Physiology and Behavior Postdoctoral Research Fellow
College/Unit College of Science and Engineering
Home Department Department of Biology
Employee Group Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Employment Status Full-Time
Position Type 12 month
Position Classification Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Position Begin Date 06/01/2026
Position End Date
Position Summary
The Department of Biology at Central Michigan University is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team working on behavioral decision making, social competition, and stress resilience in East African cichlid fish in the group of Dr. Peter Dijkstra. The postdoc will work on an NSF-funded project where the overarching aim is to investigate the genetic, cognitive, and neural mechanisms of male-male aggression biases and how they contribute to the speciation process.
This position is initially for a one-year appointment, with the potential for reappointment pending performance and continued funding.
Required Qualifications
  • Ph.D. or equivalent in evolutionary genetics, genomics, biology, neuroscience, or related field.
  • Demonstrated record of productivity and publications.
  • Experience in working with large datasets in R.
  • Ability to carry out research responsibilities with limited guidance.
  • Ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with generating or analyzing large-scale genomic data.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Message to Applicants
Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.
You must submit an online application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.
Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.
About the Department
The CMU Department of Biology is an interactive group of 26 tenure-track, 3 research, and 3 fixed-term faculty with diverse expertise. Researchers in the Department of Biology have access to a microscopy and imaging facility with confocal and electron microscopes, flow cytometry, and BSL2 facilities. The department also maintains a greenhouse, vivarium facilities, field sites, and a biological research station. Additional opportunities for collaboration exist across the university, including with faculty in the College of Medicine, Neuroscience Program, and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Posting Begins 03/06/2026
Posting Ends
Open Until Filled Yes
Type of Recruitment External
About CMU
Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.
We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.
CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.
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