Join the Macroevolution Unit
We are a theory-driven lab focused on understanding macroevolution as a complex system across deep time. We use fishes and fossils as model systems, not as ends in themselves, and we welcome applicants from any biological background who are motivated by synthesis, generalization, and big evolutionary questions. We are especially interested in students and postdocs who want to build theory from data, not just apply techniques. If your interest is general evolutionary theory, you're in the right place.
Recruitment highlights:
• Theory-driven environment
• Students design original thesis projects
• Postdocs build independent research programs
• Interns may lead supervised projects
• Authorship for interns, including lead where appropriate
• Diverse disciplinary backgrounds welcome
Who thrives in this lab
People who like asking “why” as much as “how.”
People who enjoy crossing fields and learning unfamiliar tools.
People who want to connect patterns across deep time and across organisms.
People who are comfortable working without a script and excited by new ideas.
You do not need to arrive with the “right skills.”
You do need curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to think broadly.
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What you would work on
Our research is organized around the Diversity–Reset Framework, which treats macroevolution as a complex system in which ecological interactions, physical constraints, and evolutionary history generate emergent large-scale patterns. We use fishes as a primary model system because hydrodynamics and biomechanics tightly link body form, performance, and ecology, allowing explicit connections between organismal design and macroevolutionary structure.
Projects in the lab combine theory with empirical data from fossils, phylogenetics, biomechanics, genomics, and community data and/or predictions from models based on mechanistic hypotheses. Fieldwork, taxonomy, and data generation in Okinawa support hypothesis-driven research rather than standing alone as central goals.
Current directions include:
• diversification dynamics and lineage imbalance
• extinction-driven turnover
• functional constraint and morphospace structure
• early vertebrate evolution and ecology
• alpha taxonomy and speciation in fishes
• relationships between trait diversity and ecology
• the emergence and divergence of novel forms
• genomics-based biogeography and community assembly
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Who should apply
We welcome applicants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including biology, paleontology, physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and earth and planetary sciences.
We are particularly interested in people who:
• enjoy conceptual reasoning
• have clear questions and curiosity
• are comfortable working across scales (organisms to ecosystems to deep time),
• want to connect data to explanation.
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Expectations by career stage
PhD students
PhD students develop and lead an original thesis project within the lab’s theoretical framework. Projects are designed jointly in the second year or beginning in their Unit rotation and evolve into independent research programs.
We do not require specific technical skills at entry. Instead, we look for strong conceptual or organismal interest, scientific aptitude, and motivation to build quantitative and analytical expertise during training.
Postdoctoral researchers
Postdocs contribute deep expertise in at least one area (e.g. theory, fossils, biomechanics, ichthyology, phylogenetics, genomics, or modeling) and are encouraged to develop independent research directions.
Projects are expected to combine conceptual ambition with empirical or theoretical rigor. Postdocs are supported in developing grant and fellowship applications in establishing an independent research profile.
Interns
Interns are welcome from all backgrounds. They contribute to ongoing projects and may develop supervised side projects matched to their interests and experience.
Interns are eligible for authorship on publications resulting from their work, including lead authorship where appropriate, and are encouraged to continue projects and manuscript after their internship ends.
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What to expect — and what not to
You should expect:
• emphasis on theory and explanation,
• support for skill development during training,
• intellectual ownership of projects,
• interdisciplinary collaboration across OIST or outside, where applicable.
You should not expect:
• a field ecology, conservation, or monitoring lab,
• narrowly defined technician roles,
• training limited to a single method or organism, or
• passive participation in pre-defined projects only.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already work on fishes to apply?
No. We use fishes as a primary model system, but our work is about general evolutionary theory. Applicants from any biological background are welcome if they are interested in big evolutionary questions and synthesis across systems.
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Do you expect applicants to already have specific technical skills?
For PhD students and interns, no. We look for curiosity, conceptual interest, and general scientific ability rather than a particular technical checklist.
For postdocs, we expect expertise in at least one area (e.g., fossils, phylogenetics, theory, biomechanics, genomics, or ecology) and a willingness to develop independent projects that connect to the lab’s broader theoretical goals.
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Is this a theory lab or an empirical lab?
Both. We build theory from data and use data to test theory. You should expect to work with real organisms, real datasets, and real problems—but always with the goal of answering general questions, not just describing a particular system.
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Will I have my own project?
Yes.
PhD students develop their own thesis projects within the lab’s intellectual framework.
Postdocs are expected to lead independent lines of research.
Interns work on defined projects and are encouraged to pursue side projects with supervision.
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Can interns lead papers or be authors?
Yes. Interns are treated as real researchers. If you contribute intellectually or analytically, you are included as an author. If a project is primarily directed by you with supervision, you can be lead author—even if you are early in your career.
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What kind of background fits best in this lab?
People who:
• like asking “why” as much as “how”
• enjoy crossing disciplines
• want to connect fossils, living systems, and theory
• are comfortable exploring unfamiliar ideas
You do not need the “right” background. You need intellectual curiosity and initiative.
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Is marine fieldwork required?
No. Some projects involve field collections or surveys in Okinawa, but fieldwork is not required for most projects. We value analysis, synthesis, and theoretical work as much as hands-on sampling.
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What language level is needed?
OIST’s PhD program requires English scores for admission.
Within the lab, we have worked with students and interns whose English improved significantly during their time here. Strong motivation and communication matter more than perfection.
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How is funding handled?
• PhD students are funded through the OIST PhD program (5 years; selection rounds twice a year).
• Postdocs may be supported by internal unit funding when available, and we actively support external fellowship applications (e.g., JSPS).
• Interns may be unit-funded, home-institution funded, supported through OIST programs, or funded externally.
If you are unsure, contact us—we can often help identify options.
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What should I include in my application?
Tell us:
• what questions excite you
• what you would want to work on if you joined
• how you like to think
We are much more interested in your intellectual direction than a list of techniques.
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Is this a marine biology lab?
No.
We use fishes because they are powerful systems for understanding evolution—not because we focus on oceans or reefs. If your interest is general evolutionary theory, you’re in the right place.
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Contact
Prospective students, postdocs, and interns are encouraged to contact Prof. Lauren Sallan with a short statement of research interests and why the lab is a good fit.