The Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science (http://beyond.asu.edu) at Arizona State University invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Scholar position in the laboratory of PI Sara Walker (http://emergence.asu.edu/). We seek an ambitious scientist with expertise in bioinformatics, the biochemistry of early life, evolutionary biology, or a related field, who is eager to develop entirely new approaches to reconstructing evolutionary history that predates the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA). The anticipated start date for the position is December 1, 2026; however, the start date is flexible.
The Walker lab works at the intersection of theory and data science with the goal of identifying the ‘laws of life’s universal principles that will help us understand the nature of living systems, solve the origin of life, and detect life on other worlds. A central aim of this position is to ask how the chemical record preserved in the composition and architecture of modern cells might be read as a record of the deep evolutionary past — the era before LUCA that conventional sequence-based phylogenetics cannot reach.
The successful candidate will help develop novel methods and hypotheses that leverage recent advances in assembly theory to interpret molecular and cellular complexity as evidence of evolutionary history, extending the reach of evolutionary reconstruction to the very earliest stages of life’s emergence. This is an opportunity to invent methodology rather than apply it, and to help open a new empirical window onto pre-LUCA evolution.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in established evolutionary biology and phylogenetic methods yet is genuinely motivated by open questions at the origins of life and is brave and creative enough to move beyond established techniques toward entirely new frameworks. We especially welcome applicants who see the reconstruction of pre-LUCA evolution not as a settled problem but as fertile ground for building fundamentally new approaches.
Individuals hired for these positions will be part of the Beyond Center (https://beyond.asu.edu/), the School of Earth and Space Exploration (https://sese.asu.edu/ ) and the Walker lab (https://emergence.asu.edu/ ) at Arizona State University.
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The application deadline is October 31, 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled. Candidates will be asked to create or use an existing Interfolio Dossier to submit the following application materials:
Please address any science questions to Dr. Sara Walker sara.i.walker@asu.edu or Dr. Leroy Cronin Lee.Cronin@glasgow.ac.uk, and any administrative questions to Jeanette Perez, beyond.admin@asu.edu.
A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. ASU’s full nondiscrimination statement (ACD 401) is located on the ASU website at https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX.
In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.
A background check is required for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.
See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.
In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.
