
(full-time, salary up to E 13 TV-L)
Reference number 2025/160. The expected starting date is 01.01.2026. The position is limited until 31.12.2027.
In principle, this position can be divided into two part-time positions.
We are a Cluster of Excellence within the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal and State Governments.
Being a cooperation between the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, we use the extensive expertise in the region to create an interdisciplinary environment for the study of collective behaviour that is unique worldwide. "The Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" is dedicated to the study of collective behaviour across a variety of species and across different organizational levels. For more information on the Cluster of Excellence, please visit: Collective Behaviour | exc.uni-konstanz.de.
We are seeking a PostDoc with a quantitative background who has finished (or about to finish) a doctoral degree in preferably in physics but other quantitative backgrounds will be considered. The candidate should show enthusiasm for tackling theoretical foundations of biological phenomena and creativity to address difficult research questions. The researcher will be based in the Integrative Biophysics group at the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, located in Konstanz, Germany.
The Integrative Biophysics group at the CASCB led by Dr. Ahmed El Hady. The group focuses on a diverse set of theoretical biophysics problems. The PostDoc project can potentially address the following:
1. How can one couple spatial movement dynamics to temporal decision-making process in an analytically tractable model, accounting for environments with different statistical structures?
2. Can social learning in a foraging context be regarded as a statistical learning process?
3. What are the effects of extracellular matrix characteristics and membrane biophysical properties on electromechanical wave propagation in neurons?
4. What are the collective neuronal modes one can derive from coupling electrically driven mechanical waves in single neurons?
Relevant Publications:
Blum Moyse, L., & El Hady, A. (2024). Social patch foraging theory in an egalitarian group. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2412.02381.
Kilpatrick, Z. P., Davidson, J. D., & El Hady, A. E. (2020). Normative theory of patch foraging decisions. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.22.055558.
El Hady, A., Machta, B. Mechanical surface waves accompany action potential propagation. Nat Commun 6, 6697 (2015). https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms7697
Please include the following documents:
1. Research statement (3 – 4 pages) addressing the following prompts:
2. Curriculum vitae (CV)
For more information on the project, please contact Dr. Ahmed El Hady via e-mail: ahmed.el-hady@uni-konstanz.de.
This position is available until filled. For full consideration, please submit your application by 15th September 2025 via our Online Application Portal.
The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that provides equal opportunities and promotes diversity, as well as a good balance between university and family life. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in research and teaching. We also support working couples through our dual career programme. Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact sbv@uni-konstanz.de, + 49 7531 88-4016).