FYI ________________________________ From: Judith Maria Burkart <judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch> Sent: 10 April 2026 17:20 To: Judith Maria Burkart <judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch> Subject: 2 phd positions Some people who received this message don't often get email from judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch. Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content. ________________________________ Dear friends and colleagues we are looking for two phd students (or postdocs) to work on primate cognition and behavior Please share with anyone who might be interested! Thanks a lot Judith Two PhD (postdoc) Positions in the Evolutionary Cognition Group We are offering two 4-year PhD positions in the Evolutionary Cognition Group of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Zurich. The candidates will be hired for the SNF project The Evolutionary Roots of Altercentrism. In a broader team, we investigate whether altercentric effects on cognition are unique to humans, or instead also present in nonhuman primates. A strong focus is on the cooperatively breeding marmosets, who may be particularly susceptible to altercentric influences, and on how altercentrism may be influenced by dyadic and group properties such as bond strength, prosociality, and inter-individual synchronization at various levels (physiological with thermography, hormonal, behavioral and communicative). To identify evolutionary pathways toward altercentrism, additional nonhuman primate species will be tested. The project combines cutting-edge technologies: experiments and observations supported by computer vision and machine learning, gaze tracking, thermography, hormonal analyses, automated sound location and RIFD controlled tasks. Candidates with expertise in at least one oft these techniques are particularly welcome to apply. The successful candidate is expected to - be interested in animal cognition and communication and contribute to shaping the project - perform cognitive tests and collect observational data with marmosets - have previous experience with one of the above mentioned techniques, or a strong interest in it - collect data in additional nonhuman primate species - possess a solid background in statistics and data processing - be fluent in English (oral, written) Candidates should have a Msc degree or equivalent and a relevant training background in Biology, Psychology, or Evolutionary Anthropology. They will be part of the PhD program in Evolutionary Biology of the University of Zurich. The start of the positions is ideally in October 2026, or upon agreement. We may also consider postdoc applications for one of the positions. Please submit your application in a single pdf to judith.burkart@iea.uzh.ch, ideally until May 20, 2026. Applications should include a cover letter stating your motivation and how your expertise fits in this project (1 page), a CV, a copy of the highest degree obtained, and the names of two referees. We take gender balance and diversity seriously in our hiring decisions. _____________________________ Prof. Dr. Judith Burkart Department of Evolutionary Anthropology University of Zürich Winterthurerstrasse 190 8057 Zürich ++41 44 635 54 02 [cid:22762d50-bbbb-4672-b1fa-030465604bee]Evolutionary Cognition Group<https://evocog-uzh.squarespace.com/> _____________________________ ________________________________ Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159
