Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany

PhD position in the Chemistry of Human-Plant Interactions 80 %

Start of employment 1st of August, temporary

Our Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany is in the University Botanical Gardens and houses modern molecular and ecological labs, Herbarium with three million specimens, and a Botanical Garden with living plants representing 8,000 species. The Department's mission is to “increase the knowledge of plant diversity, the processes and patterns of plant evolution, the relationships between plants and other organisms and aspects of plant conservation.” The Department of Chemistry, in turn, has state-of-the-art instruments for screening plant metabolomes, computational facilities with databases of natural products, and structure elucidation software. The University of Zurich has a broad research coverage of organismal and molecular biology. The city of Zurich offers excellent quality of life and attractive surroundings for outdoor sports.

Your responsibilities

A PhD position in my group at the Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, is available starting 1st of August for a period of four years. The position is to study the drivers of human-plant interactions in Amazonia by linking ethnobotany and metabolomics.

Your profile

I am looking for a highly motivated and creative candidate. A formal requirement is a Master degree in any field of biology. Proficiency in English, both orally and written is essential.

The position involves significant time conducting lab work in untargeted metabolomics. Ideally, you have demonstrable skills in (or strong interest to acquire) untargeted metabolomics, bioinformatics, GIS, and big data analysis.

I offer a collaborative environment with high-quality supervision and a vibrant international team. You will have the chance to collaborate with colleagues at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Indigenous People in Colombia and Ecuador, and Prof. Laurent Bigler at the Dept. of Chemistry of the University of Zurich.

Information on your application

Interested applicants should send me an email by June 20th, 2025 with the following:

1) 1-page motivation letter
2) 1-page essay, describing how you would link chemical traits to advance our group's
previous research, i.e., any publication at: https://rcamaraleret.com/publications.html
3) curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
4) e-mail of two academic referees

Please send all documents in a single pdf file.

What we offer

Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers.

What we offer

Work-Life Balance
  • Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing)
  • Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH


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Learning and Development
  • Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich
  • Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

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Food
  • Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias
  • Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

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Healthcare
  • Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ
  • Free seasonal flu vaccinations
  • Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

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Discounts
  • Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space
  • Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions
  • Special conditions on hotel reservations

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Conditions of Employment
  • Policies of the UZH
  • Most UZH staff are employed according to public law


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International Services
  • Support for people from outside Switzerland

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Campuses
  • Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren
  • Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg


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Location

Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany

Zollikerstrasse 107, 8702 Zollikon, Switzerland

Further information

Questions about the job

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Cámara Leret
Contact Form

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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich offers a wide range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and 12 professional apprenticeship streams, Switzerland's largest university provides an inspiring working environment at the vanguard of research and education. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/work.html

Working at UZH

The University of Zurich offers a wide range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and 12 professional apprenticeship streams, Switzerland's largest university provides an inspiring working environment at the vanguard of research and education. Find out more about UZH as an employer! More
UZH