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Title Postdoctoral Fellow in Forecasting Species Distributions of Medicinal Plants

School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Position Description

The Davis Lab of Plant Biodiversity at Harvard University is seeking an exceptional postdoctoral researcher to work with us on forecasting species distributions of medicinal plants and assessing global seed-bank coverage of species under investigation.

The Davis Lab of Plant Biodiversity explores questions in plant evolution and ecology using a variety of cutting-edge methods. Current and past research has shed light on the genetic and genomic basis of plant parasitism, illuminated systematic and biogeographic trends in widespread temperate and tropical clades, and characterized plant phenological and community-level changes in the Anthropocene. We actively explore and use natural history collections and herbaria, and are constantly seeking to develop new approaches to unlock these data and apply them in novel ways. We believe that diversity, collaboration, and mutual respect are essential to any scientific endeavor.

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher, with expertise in modeling species distributions as a function of climatic change. We expect the postdoc to be able to work independently and contribute intellectually to broader research themes and directions in the lab. The postdoc will use data from open-source aggregators to construct and test models to assess current and future species distributions of several hundred medicinal plant species as a function of different climatic regimes. The postdoc will also use these and other data to assess the coverage of extant medicinal species diversity in global gene and seed banks, with the aim of identifying geographic and taxonomic areas of importance for further sampling.

Situated in the Harvard University Herbaria ( HUH ), the Davis Lab of Plant Biodiversity actively investigates questions in plant evolution, systematics, ecology, and global change. We are part of Harvard’s Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, which is a vibrant community of cross-disciplinary biological scientists at Harvard University.

Basic Qualifications

+ A Ph.D. degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related areas

+ Hands-on experience with or a strong interest in bioinformatics programming, including Linux, scripting) and R

+ Experience with constructing species distribution and climate models

+ Expertise in data mining and cleaning

+ You are fluent in English, for both written and oral communication

Additional Qualifications

Preferred candidates will:

+ Be ambitious, creative, and excited about their research;

+ Have demonstrated research output, including publications in top-tier journals;

+ Have a strong interest in using evolutionary and ecological thinking to address large-scale basic and applied questions;

+ Possess good, open communication skills;

+ Be willing to collaborate with the multiple researchers in the lab and our collaborators around the world;

+ Be able to take initiatives and responsibility within the work environment;

+ Have experience working in and with museum collections.

Special Instructions

Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Please upload the following materials.

1. Cover letter summarizing your research experience and your interest in the position.

2. Curriculum vitae including full list of publications and awards (if applicable).

3. Up to three representative peer-reviewed publications or pre-prints, ideally including at least one first-authored output.

4. Names and contact information of three references. Please note that references are not required at the time of application; referees will be contacted after an initial screening.

Contact Information

Professor Charles Davis

Contact Email [email protected]

Salary Range

$67600-$80000

Minimum Number of References Required 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed 4

Keywords

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity (https://hr.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum6281/files/2025-04/reaffirmation\_statement.pdf) policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy (https://provost.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum3356/files/2025-07/non-discrimination\_and\_anti-bullying\_policies.pdf) . Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.

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