Un postdoc de lo más chulo observando y estudiando selección natural (análisis fenotípicos y morfológicos)

Oferta compartida por Nuria

A Postdoctoral Fellowship, funded for up to five years, is available within the Division of Evolutionary Ecology (http://www.ee.iee.unibe.ch/index_eng.html) led by Professor Catherine (Katie) Peichel at the University of Bern, Switzerland on a recently funded Swiss National Science Foundation project “FITNESS: Forward-In-Time Natural Experimental Study of Selection”. In this project, we have put over 10,000 stickleback fish into eight empty lakes in Alaska. Using whole-genome sequencing data from these founding fish and knowledge about the ecology of the lakes, we will determine whether the genotypes and the phenotypes of the fish change in a repeatable and predictable way over eight generations.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be responsible for leading the phenotypic axis of the project, which will involve yearly fieldwork in Alaska, phenotypic analyses of thousands of fish, and sophisticated multivariate analyses. This project is being carried out in collaboration with Rowan Barrett and Andrew Hendry (McGill University, Canada) and Dan Bolnick (University of Connecticut, USA), and the Postdoctoral Fellow will have an opportunity for extended visits to these collaborating groups. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also work closely with a Bioinformatician in the Division of Evolutionary Ecology, who will be responsible for leading the genomic axis of the project.

The Division of Evolutionary Ecology is a dynamic, international, and interdisciplinary group. We are part of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bern in Switzerland. The Institute currently has seven research divisions spanning a broad range of research in ecology and evolution including conservation biology, behavioural ecology, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, population and evolutionary genomics, and evolutionary theory. Across these divisions, there is a shared interest in the mechanisms that underlie adaptation to changing environments. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have ample opportunities for interactions and collaborations with an international community of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and professors. The University of Bern is situated near the heart of the beautiful old city, and the quality of life in Bern is very high.

Candidates must be highly motivated and creative, able to work both independently and collaboratively, and have a strong background in evolutionary biology, morphological analyses, and multivariate statistical analyses. Experience in fieldwork and/or knowledge of aquatic ecosystems is a plus. Candidates must have excellent written and spoken communication skills in English, which is the working language of our institute. A PhD is required. This position is open to applicants worldwide. We are committed to increasing diversity, equity and inclusiveness in evolutionary biology and especially encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

The starting date for the Postdoctoral Fellow is as early as 1 February 2023. The Postdoctoral Fellow must be available for fieldwork in Alaska from 25 May to 10 June 2023. The starting salary is approximately 88,000 CHF (dependent on experience) and includes social security contributions.

Applicants must submit one merged PDF file that includes a letter of motivation, a CV, names of two referees who have agreed to provide a letter if contacted, and copies of relevant publications and/or preprints by 5 December 2022 to Prof. Catherine Peichel: catherine.peichel@unibe.ch