Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The
position is funded for 4 years, to begin Autumn 2020. The ideal candidate
will be self-motivated with a strong interest in integrating computational
and empirical approaches. Experience working in R or python coding
languages is highly desirable.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The research projects are in population genetics/genomics, with the main
scientific goal being to understand how populations successfully expand
their species ranges, adapting to novel environments as well as surviving
detrimental mutation load incurred during this demographic process of
expansion. These questions will be addressed with an integrative approach
that combines theoretical simulation studies with empirical analysis of
wild-sampled Arabis alpina. Field sampling in Italy and the Swiss Alps
is an aspect of this project, but prior experience working with plants
is not required
In general, I seek a student who is strongly motivated to learn,
ask questions, and think critically about topics in evolutionary
biology. Prior experience in bioinformatics is a plus; top candidates
will be those interested and committed to working both on the computer
and in the wet lab. A Master’s degree in biology or a related field is a
prerequisite for this position. Any significant changes in research field
should be described and explained in the applicant's motivation letter.
The Institute for Plant Sciences is a vibrant community of evolutionary
biologists, ecologists, and plant physiologists, located within the
beautiful Botanical Gardens of Bern, the capital city of Switzerland.
The projects are funded by a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)
Ambizione grant to Dr. Kimberly Gilbert, who will be the main supervisor,
within the lab of Prof. Dr. Christian Parisod. More information on
previous research can be found here: http://kjgilbert.github.io/ and
https://www.ips.unibe.ch/resea
language is English, but knowledge of German can be useful for everyday
life. Quality of life in Switzerland is high, and Bern is ideally located
to both nature and several major cities.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE
The deadline to apply is 29 February, 2020
Please submit by via email to Dr. Kimberly Gilbert at
kjgilbert.evolution@gmail.com using the subject line "PhD Application"
the following items:
1) letter describing motivation for joining this project, fit, and
professional goals (1 page)
2) CV/Resumé that includes publications and previous research
experience
3) summary of the master’s thesis (1/2 page)
4) contact information for two professional references
Informal inquiries may also be directed to the same email address
above. After a first round of consideration, candidates will be
interviewed either in person or by video conference. A copy of the
master’s degree and transcript, along with evidence of writing
experience may be requested at a later stage.
Kimberly Gilbert <kimberly.gilbert@unil.ch>
