12170 - Postdoctoral Research Associate

Grade UE07: £40,497 to £48,149 per annum

Institute of Ecology and Evolution / School of Biological Sciences / College of Sciences and Engineering 

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed Term: for 35 months 

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Genomics and Metagenomics of Population Declines

This post is being re-advertised as full-time (35 hours per week), however, we are open to considering part-time or flexible working patterns. We are also open to considering requests for hybrid working (on a non-contractual basis) that combines a mix of remote and regular on-campus working.

The Opportunity:

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on a NERC-funded project on the interactions of host and microbiomes during population declines as seen through the lens of genomics. The post-holder’s main task is to conduct research on host-microbiome interactions during population declines by bioinformatically analysing low-coverage host genomic data from museum specimens of several mammalian species. You will contribute to sampling of museum-preserved specimens of mammalian hosts and associated oral microbiomes (dental calculus) in natural history collections, and will have the opportunity to process in the samples in the ancient DNA lab. The applicant should have a PhD in population genomics, evolutionary genomics, or a related subject. The ideal candidate will have extensive bioinformatics experience with low-quality, low-coverage whole genome data from non-model organisms. Expertise in ancient DNA analyses, imputations, hologenomics or multi-omics frameworks would be an asset. The applicant will complete high quality original research and will disseminate the data in refereed papers, conference presentations and seminars. We are looking for a self-motivated, enthusiastic, and proactive individual. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills, and the ability to work as part of a team as well as independently are important.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Extensive previous experience in population genomics analyses of low-quality, low-coverage whole genome datasets (e.g. ancient DNA), ideally in wild, non-model organisms
• Extensive bioinformatics experience with large-scale datasets, use of computer clusters, and appropriate statistical analyses
• Excellent time management and organisational skills 
• Strong communication and critical thinking skills to drive success working both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Expertise & training in one or more of the following: Molecular biology techniques, particularly applied to degraded, historical or ancient samples; conservation genomics analyses; metagenomics analyses; multi-omics or hologenomics analyses

Advert information