Job Description

Ref Number

B04-06879

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

UCL BEAMS (B04)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

See advert text

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

16-Dec-2025

About us

------------


The Department of Mathematics at UCL is an internationally renowned department within one of the world's most prestigious universities. Since its beginning, mathematics at UCL has been enhanced by its many outstanding members of staff. Indeed, two of its students (and later staff) Professor Klaus Roth (1958) and Professor Alan Baker (1970) have gone on to win the Fields Medal. Another former member of staff Professor Tim Gowers won the Fields Medal in 1998 for work he did whilst at UCL.



Since 2011, the department has grown considerably, with over 100 academic and honorary staff members, including fellows of the Royal Society. The department also has approximately 30 Postdoctoral Research Fellows, around 120 PhD students and 50 MSc students. We welcome a regular stream of distinguished visiting academics from home and abroad. The broad range of research interests is reflected in the wide choice of courses available in the third and fourth years of the degree programmes, from spectral theory, groups and geometry to fluid mechanics and from mathematical ideas in biology to cosmology. Research funding in the department from EPSRC, ERC, NERC, Leverhulme Trust and the Wellcome Trust has grown significantly in recent years, more than doubling since 2014.



The department has internationally recognised research groups in pure and applied analysis; fluid mechanics; mathematical physics; geometry and topology; algebra, number theory and combinatorics; mathematical modelling in biology, finance, industry and society. There are regular departmental seminar series in financial mathematics and applied mathematics, as well as seminar series joint with other London universities in number theory, geometry and analysis. There are regular London-Paris meetings in analysis and number theory and a London-Brussels meeting in geometry. The department hosts an annual meeting in the dynamics of rotating fluids.

About the role

------------------


Applications are invited for a full-time Research Fellow position to work with Dr Philip Pearce. The post is funded by an EPSRC Small Grant in the Mathematical Sciences entitled "New Mathematical Connections Between Collective Cell and Animal Migration Over Surfaces".



In this project, we will take the first steps towards building a general mathematical framework that can describe collective migrations of both cells and animals over surfaces, by representing whole-population behaviours using the framework of active fluids. The postholder will focus on building and solving continuum models that capture how cell and animal populations migrate over surfaces. There is also an opportunity to work on discrete simulations, depending on the interest of the postholder. The work will be performed in close collaboration with our theoretical collaborators, including Nir Gov (Weizmann Institute of Science).



The responsibilities of the post will include: carrying out vigorous, high-level research into modelling cell and animal populations as active fluids, developing continuum active fluid models for cell and animal populations, running code to simulate active fluids using continuum methods, and interfacing with other team members.



This post is available from 02 February 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary will be UCL Grade 7 point 31-33 which is 45,103 -47,451 per annum inclusive of London Allowance.



This post is funded for approximately 7 months in the first instance.

About you

-------------


Candidates should either have a PhD or equivalent qualification in Mathematics, Physics, Biophysics, or relevant areas of Computational Biology or Chemistry, or should be finalising their PhD or waiting for their viva date.



Please note: Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent on award and confirmation of a PhD (or equivalent). If this is not the case, the initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B, point 25 (salary 38,607 per annum inclusive of London allowance) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.



The successful candidate should have experience and knowledge of continuum modelling, ideally in a biological context, as well as experience of writing, developing and calibrating simulation code. The candidate should have a strong interest in biological research and commitment to high quality research, excellent interpersonal skills to facilitate participation in a research group, mentoring of PhD students, and communication with collaborators. They should have the ability to analyse and write up results and to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences and show commitment to UCL's policy of equal opportunity and the ability to work harmoniously with colleagues and students of all cultures and backgrounds.



An outstanding candidate will have experience of research on active fluids and on complex biological fluids.



For a full spectrum of duties and responsibilities as well as essential, and desired criteria please refer to the Further Particulars document attached to this advert.



If you have any queries regarding the vacancy or the application process, please contact Anna Rutherford (anna.rutherford@ucl.ac.uk).



Informal enquiries may be addressed to Philip Pearce, email: philip.pearce@ucl.ac.uk



We particularly welcome female applicants and those from an ethnic minority, as they are under-represented within UCL at this level.

What we offer

-----------------


As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)

Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme

Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)

Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan

Immigration loan

Relocation scheme for certain posts

On-Site nursery

On-site gym

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

-------------------------------------------------------


UCL Department of Mathematics is committed to developing the careers of all its staff by providing a supportive environment in which they can flourish. We believe that inclusive teams produce the best student experience, and we strive for an environment in which all staff can bring their whole selves to work. The Department actively promotes UCL's work-life balance policy which acknowledges that its staff are most productive when they have achieved a balance that enables them to meet their responsibilities outside work.



Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.