Postdoc en biología evolutiva (Finlandia)

The University of Helsinki has an international academic community of
40,000 students and staff members, and it offers comprehensive services
to its employees, including occupational health care and health
insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional
development. The International Staff Services office assists employees
from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland. The
Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme is situated at
the Viikki science park and belongs to the Faculty of Biological and
Environmental Sciences of University of Helsinki.

The Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme (OEB)
invites applications for a

1,5 YEAR POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITION in Evolutionary Ecology

in the research group of Marjo Saastamoinen
(http://www.helsinki.fi/life-history-evolution), as part of the ERC
funded META-STRESS project. The successful applicant will be part of
the

Research Centre for Ecological Change at the University of Helsinki.

Our Life-History Evolution research group is a dynamic team with
several post docs and PhD students and we are part of the OEB with its
vibrant and collaborative research community of experimental,
computational, and theoretical labs that all share a common interested
in Evolutionary Biology. Cutting edge infrastructure is available at
all levels, including high-performance computer clusters, a next-gen
sequencing facility, as well as molecular labs. We collaborate with
research groups at Cambridge University, Stockholm University, and UCL
among others.

The project, initiated in 2015, aims to understand the mechanisms that
allow organisms in the wild to cope with environmental stress. Working
with the large metapopulation of the Glanville fritillary butterfly
gives a unique opportunity to study processes operating from genes
within individuals all the way to metapopulation-level dynamics (> 20
years of data; e.g. Kahilainen et al. GCB). In this project ecological
and experimental studies are integrated with molecular approaches to
unravel the significance of different mechanisms - candidate genes,
epigenetic inheritance and intestinal microbial communities -
potentially influencing individual responses to environmental
challenges.

In addition to exceptional demographic and ecological resources,
substantial genomic data is also available for this species, including
a whole genome sequence (Ahola et al. 2014 Nature Comm) and linkage map
(Rastas et al. 2013 Bioinformatics) for which a new version is underway
and ready to be utilized. Some available experimental and genomic data,
including across Ã…land PoolSeq, RNA Seq and sequence data of mothers
and their offspring exposed to different stressors, and SNP genotype
data from 20,000 individuals genotyped for both known candidate genes
and neutral loci across hundreds of populations (Fountain et al. 2016
PNAS, Fountain et al. 2018) is potentially available for the candidate.
There is also an option to generate/collect new experimental and/or
genomic data within the framework of the META-STRESS project.

The successful candidate should have PhD / postdoctoral experience
within the fields of evolutionary biology, evolutionary genetics,
microbiology or similar, and a strong interest in working with natural
populations. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in
English, and the ability to think independently and creatively are
required. The candidate must demonstrate ability to work as part of a
team, and participate in supervision of more junior group members.

The starting date is flexible but preferable no later than September
2018 (funding is available until end of March 2020), with a
probationary period of six 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. Starting
salary will be 3300 euros/month, depending on the appointee's
qualifications and experience.

Please submit your application using the University of Helsinki
Recruitment System via the link Apply for the position
(https://www.helsinki.fi/en/open-positions/postdoctoral-researcher-in-e
volutionary-ecology). Applicants who are employees of the University of
Helsinki are requested to leave their application via the SAP HR
portal. Please attach the following documents as a single pdf file:
your CV with publications included and a letter (max 2 pages) with a
description of your research interests and, in particular, why you
would be a suitable candidate for the project. The application letter
should also contain possible starting dates and contact information of
two persons who can provide a reference letter based on request.

The deadline for submitting the application is July 1st 2018.

For more information, please contact Dr Marjo Saastamoinen by email:
marjo.saastamoinen(at)helsinki.fi.

--

Marjo Saastamoinen

Academy Research Fellow

Life-history Evolution Research Group

Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme

University of Helsinki FI-00014

Finland

http://www.helsinki.fi/life-history-evolution

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/research-centre-for-ecological-change