Postdoctoral position (2 years) in conifer genomics - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, invites applicants for a postdoctoral position in genomics of climate adaptation and pathogen resistance of conifer trees. The position is on full time for two years starting 1st of October 2023 or by agreement. Application deadline is 31st of August 2023.

Project description
Climate change is expected to have a strong impact on the boreal forest ecosystem, both directly through extreme weather conditions and indirectly through changes in species composition and pests and pathogen prevalence. This project explores a time series of observations on fungal pathogen infection in Scots pine populations and progeny testing trials to understand the quantitative genetic basis of resistance, and model population responses under different climate scenarios. The database of genotyped trees and their corresponding phenotypes will be a valuable tool for improving the efficiency of resistance breeding in Scots pine. The project is a collaboration between Umeå University and the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden (Skogforsk).

The postdoc will focus on the characterization of structural genomic variation in Scots pine, and its role in resistance and other quantitative traits by using long-read sequencing technique. The duties include generating long-read sequence data, conducting population genetics analyses, collecting and analyzing phenotypic data, and publishing research articles. The postdoc will have the opportunities to develop own research interests and network, and contribute to other ongoing projects in the research team.

Qualifications
To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the appointment decision.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

For this position, the candidates must hold a PhD in population genetics/genomics, computational biology, or a related field, at the time of recruitment. It is particularly useful if the candidate has experience in conifer genome mapping and is computational proficiency with bioinformatics using high performance computer clusters. Knowledge in population or quantitative genetics of conifer trees and statistical programming (e.g. R, Python) is highly valued. The candidate should be highly motivated, possess good communication skills in English, good work ethics, and be able to collaborate in a team.

How to apply
The application should contain the following written in English (preferably) or Swedish:

• A cover letter describing your research interests and motivation (max. 2 A4 pages).
• A CV detailing your education and previous research experience.
• A list of your publications (submitted manuscripts can be included; specify your contribution to each work)
• A copy of your PhD degree and a copy of your thesis.
• Names and contact details of three references who can be contacted by telephone or e-mail.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is made through our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. The closing date is August 31st, 2023.

For more information, contact Prof. Xiao-Ru Wang (xiao-ru.wang@umu.se).

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-ecology-and-environmental-science/) carries out research and postgraduate education in ecology, environmental science and physical geography. The department has about 160 employees, about 20 of whom are post docs.