Post-Doctoral Research Associate: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - UTK

The Suissa lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the lab (https://www.botaneelab.com/). This 2-year, full-time position will focus on the hydraulics of seed-free plants, with an emphasis on mechanisms of drought tolerance.

The successful candidate will take a leading role in advancing research on vulnerability to drought-induced embolism and vascular architecture in seed-free plants. This work will integrate physiological and anatomical approaches to address fundamental questions in plant function and evolution. The fellow will be expected to drive projects toward publication, contribute to grant development, and actively engage with the broader EEB community.

• Lead research on vulnerability to embolism in seed-free plants 

• Conduct anatomical analyses on vascular structure. 

• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals. 

• Present research at national and international conferences. 

• Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.

Required Qualifications

• Education: PhD in plant physiology, ecophysiology, evolutionary biology, or related field.

• Experience:

  • Strong background in physiology, hydraulics, and anatomy. 

  • Experience with estimating vulnerability to drought-induced embolism (preferred using the optical vulnerability method).

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

  • Proficient in statistical analyses and data visualization, using R or a related language. 

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.

     

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Work Location 

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits 

• Anticipated hiring range: $62,000

   

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions 

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before June 30, 2026 or until position is filled.

• Resume/CV

• Summary of research interests and experiences

About The Department

EEB is in the top 10% of ecology programs in North America based on research impact (Keville et al., 2017), ahead of peer institutions such as UCLA and UC San Diego. Our faculty and students come from around the globe. Our faculty is a mix of internationally known senior researchers and an energetic group of junior faculty at the cutting edges of their fields. We train graduate and undergraduate students with research interests in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, behavioral and population genetics, computational biology, development of theory for evolution and ecology, ecosystem and community ecology, global change biology, diverse areas of organismal biology, and biology education.