The Department of Biosciences situated at the Viikki science park belongs to the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences of University of Helsinki and is the largest research and teaching unit in biosciences in Finland. The Department of Biosciences is one of the largest departments of Helsinki University with its c. 25 million euro budget and over 400 staff members.
The Department of Biosciences invites applications for a TWO-YEAR POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITION in the Ecological Genetics Research Unit, headed by Prof. Juha Merilä.
The Ecological Genetics Research Unit is part of the Department of Biosciences which hosts research community of experimental, computational, and theoretical labs with common interest in Evolutionary Biology. Cutting edge infrastructure is available at all levels, including high-performance computer clusters, access to next-generation sequencing facilities, molecular biology labs and animal breeding facilities.
The main goal of this Academy of Finland funded post-doctoral project is to address questions about the genetic underpinnings of quantitative trait variation within and among different populations of stickleback fishes. Large datasets (SNPs and full genome sequences) will be analysed with QTL- and association mapping, along with other population genomic approaches. Questions relating to phylogeographical relationships among different populations and species of sticklebacks, as well as the relative roles of selective and neutral processes underlying the inferred relationships, are also to be addressed within this project. Opportunities for collaborative projects with other unit members and research associates are possible. The candidate would be given freedom to pursue their own ideas and research interests within the general framework of the main project.
Who can apply: We are looking for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher with strong enthusiasm towards science. The successful candidate should have PhD / post doctoral experience within the fields of evolutionary genetics/genomics, bioinformatics and/or animal breeding, with genuine interest towards addressing problems at the population level (rather than comparative genomics). Excellent bioinformatics skills and experience in handling both large marker datasets and full-genome sequence analyses (e.g. programming in C, or scripting language Python and/or Perl), as well as good written and verbal communication skills in English are required. The preferred starting date is 1st January 2016, but an earlier start date is negotiable (earliest possible start date: 1st October 2015). The employment contract includes a trial period of 4 months.
The salary will be based on level 5 of the demands level chart for teaching and research personnel in the salary system of Finnish universities. In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal work performance. The total minimum salary at the beginning of the employment is 3127,54 €/month.
How To apply, please send your CV with publication list and contact details of two references, and a letter (max 2 pages) with a description of your research interests and career goals. In particular, please provide clear motivation for your suitability as a candidate for this position. Send these documents as a single pdf-file to hy-kirjaamo@helsinki.fi.
Deadline: 31 July 2015 by 15.45 local Helsinki time.
For more information, please contact Prof. Juha Merilä (juha.merila@helsinki.fi), Tel: +358-40-8374165.
More information about host groups research profile, please consult e.g.http://www.helsinki.fi/biosci/egru/publications/publications.html