Researcher in human population genetics of African populations - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Organismal Biology teach about, and explores the evolution, development and function on the organismal level. We study the deepest branches of the tree of life with the help of bioinformatics and experimental molecular techniques. Research about how chemicals of anthropogenic origin interact with cellular functions and cause long-lasting adverse health effects in humans and wildlife is also performed. For more information see www.iob.uu.se.

Duties: The spread of farming practices has had a marked influence on how humans are distributed around the globe today. Inferences about the spread of farming in Africa are mostly based on linguistic and archeological studies. Genome-wide studies started to make a contribution to research on the history of African farmers but many populations remain poorly represented, making detailed inferences problematic. The present study proposes to investigate spread of farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. The successful candidate will help to coordinate various projects in the group (including field work, laboratory work and computational analyses) with the aim to generate and use genomic data from current day African populations and ancient remains to investigate the spread of farming to the various parts of the African continent.

The position is placed in the research group of Carina Schlebusch and the research will be conducted within the Human Evolution Program at the Department of Organismal Biology (Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University). The Human Evolution Program, has a broad interest in population genetics and human evolution. The Schlebusch group is specifically interested in studying human history on the African continent and uses genetic data from modern day populations and ancient remains as a tool for the inference of African history. The group is financed by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The research environment is multi-disciplinary with experts in ancient DNA, population genomics and bioinformatics expertise. The research environment is international with English being the working language. See Dr. Schlebusch web-page for more information on the research and recent publications (http://www.iob.uu.se/research/human-evolution/schlebusch/) and Human Evolution Program web-page for more information on the Program (http://www.iob.uu.se/research/human-evolution).

Requirements: The successful candidate must have a Ph.D in a relevant field. Postdoc experience, a good publication record and a proven ability to attract funding. Proficiency in English is a requirement. The ideal candidate is highly motivated with thorough education and strong interest in evolutionary genetics/genomics, population genetics, human evolution and biological anthropology. Previous experience with large-scale genetic data analysis, bioinformatics, and programming skills (in R, Shell/Bash, and Python). Mathematical, computational and statistical training on Approximate Bayesian Computations (ABC) approaches and simulations of complex demographic models. Field work experience.

Additional qualifications: Field work experience in Africa and an interest/background in African history.

Salary: Individual salary.

Starting date: 01-06-2020 or otherwise agreed.

Type of employment: Temporary position ending 31-05-2022.

Scope of employment: 100%

For further information about the position please contact: Carina Schlebusch, e-mail carina.schlebusch@ebc.uu.se.

Please submit your application by 9 April 2020, UFV-PA 2020/1116.

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