(Belgium) is seeking a candidate for a 16 months postdoctoral position
to work on evolutionary genetics / evolutionary ecology of central
African plant species. The candidate should have experience in
population genetics, phylogeography, phylogenetics and/or community
ecology modeling. Some laboratory experience in molecular genetics is
required. Experience with tropical plants and/or next-generation
sequencing techniques is a plus. The candidate will contribute to new
projects funded by the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research
(FNRS). One project is entitled "Population dynamics of trees and
herbaceous species characteristic of central African rain forests in
relation to past human and climate perturbations", and the other
"Organization of plant biodiversity across African rain forests at
different levels of integration using genetic markers: phylogeography,
DNA barcoding, and phylogenetic structure of communities". The research
project of the candidate will be flexible and adapted to his/her
previous experience. The candidate will be based in Brussels, will have
access to a molecular lab and could realize field missions in Africa.
Candidates must have a PhD obtained less than 6 years ago and cannot be
of Belgian nationality or be residing in Belgium for more than 2 years
(conditions imposed by the FNRS grant). Interested candidates should
send their CV to Olivier Hardy (ohardy@ulb.ac.be
2011). More details about the projects will be provided. The FNRS grant
can start by end 2011 or early 2012. The monthly net salary is ca. 2000
euros.
The team lead by Olivier Hardy (cf. http://ebe.ulb.ac.be/ebe/Hardy.html)
is currently composed of 4 postdocs and 4 PhD students. Research topics
focus on African rainforests and include phylogeographic studies of
several forest dwelling tree, herbaceous and epiphyte (orchids) species;
population and quantitative genetics of some timber tree species;
studies on seed and pollen dispersal; development of DNA barcoding
approaches for plant species; (phylo)diversity patterns of tree
communities and plant-environment relationships. Most field work occurs
in Cameroon, Gabon or Benin in collaboration with local researchers.
Olivier Hardy also performs modeling studies in population genetics and
community ecology, and develops software for data analyses.
Some recent publications of the team:
Micheneau C, et al. (2011) Cost-effective method for the development of
microsatellite loci: a case study with /Pericopsis elata/ (Fabaceae).
/American Journal of Botany /(in press)
Réjou-MéchainM, Hardy OJ (2011) Properties of similarity indices under
niche-based and dispersal-based processes in communities. /The American
Naturalist/ 177: 589-604.
Koffi KG; Hardy OJ, Doumenge C, Cruaud C, Heuertz M (2011) Diversity
gradients and phylogeographic patterns in a widespread African tree
typical of mature rainforests, /Santiria trimera/ (Burseraceae).
/American Journal of Botany/ 98: 254-264.
Parmentier I, et al. (2011). Predicting alpha diversity of African rain
forests: models based on climate and satellite-derived data do not
perform better than a purely spatial model. /Journal of Biogeography
/38: 1164-1176.
Debout GDG, Doucet J-L, Hardy OJ(2011)Population history and dispersal
ecology inferred from spatial genetic structure of a Central African
timber tree, /Distemonanthus benthamianus/ (Caesalpinioideae). /Heredity
/106:88-99.
Duminil J, Heuertz M, Doucet J-L, Bourland N, Cruaud C; Gavory F;
Doumenge C, Navascués M, Hardy OJ (2010) CpDNA-based species
identification and phylogeography: application to a complex of African
tropical tree species. /Molecular Ecology/ 19: 5469–5483.
Daïnou K, Bizoux J-P, Doucet J-L, Mahy G, Hardy OJ, Heuertz M (2010)
Forest refugia revisited: SSRs and cpDNA sequences support historical
isolation in a wide-spread African tree with high colonization capacity,
/Milicia excelsa/ (Moraceae). /Molecular Ecology/ 19:4462-4477.
Ley A, Hardy OJ (2010) Species delimitation in the Central African herbs
/Haumania/ (Marantaceae) using georeferenced nuclear and chloroplastic
DNA sequences. /Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution/ 57:859–867.
Navascués M., Hardy O. J., Burgarella C. (2009) Characterization of
demographic expansions from pairwise comparisons of linked
microsatellite haplotypes. /Genetics/ 181: 1013-1019.
Hardy O. J. (2008) Testing the spatial phylogenetic structure of local
communities : statistical performances of different null models and test
statistics on a locally neutral community. /Journal of Ecology/ 96: 914–926.
Hardy O. J., B. Senterre (2007). Characterising the phylogenetic
structure of communities by an additive partitioning of phylogenetic
diversity. /Journal of Ecology/ 95: 493–506.
