Postdoctoral Scientist - Animal Welfare, Health and Behaviour

The Pirbright Institute is seeking to appoint a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scientist to join our Animal Welfare, Health and Behaviour group within the Biological and Behavioural Sciences Department. The group has a remit to develop and apply innovative approaches to optimise the welfare of the Institute's diverse range of animal species. This includes research and development of new techniques, methodologies and interventions to improve animal welfare, health and behaviour. The successful applicant will be responsible for designing and conducting innovative research projects focused on understanding and improving the welfare of animals used in scientific research at the Institute. The role will involve developing and applying techniques to assess and monitor animal behaviour, physiology and health, and working closely with animal care staff and research groups across the Institute to implement welfare-enhancing strategies. You will be expected to publish the results of this work in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and present your findings at international conferences. The post-holder will have a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, such as animal behaviour, applied animal science, or animal welfare science. Candidates should have demonstrable experience in animal behaviour assessment, animal welfare monitoring and/or the development of welfare-enhancing interventions. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team are essential.

The Pirbright Institute is a world-leading centre of excellence in research and surveillance of viral diseases of farm animals and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Our mission is to enhance capability, resilience and preparedness against viral diseases that threaten food security, the economy and human health. Our multidisciplinary research covers areas such as virology, immunology, vaccinology, epidemiology, ecology, computational biology, genomics and social sciences.