Postdoc/researcher in phylogenetic methods

Department of Ecology

We are looking for a postdoc/researcher to develop and implement tools for analysis of output from Bayesian inference under phylogenetic models

About the position

A postdoc/researcher position is available in Mariana Braga’s group at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. Research in the Evolving Networks lab (evonetslab.github.io) centers around understanding how species interactions change over time and space, with a focus on butterfly caterpillar-plant interactions and development of phylogenetic methods. The EvonetsLab is supported by a Starting Grant from the European Research Council and a DDLS Fellowship from the SciLifeLab and Wallenberg Swedish program for data-driven life science.

The successful candidate will be working within the development team of TreePPL (www.treeppl.org), a universal probabilistic programming language and new software for phylogenetics. The successful candidate will be responsible for the user-interface aspects of the project, through development of the R package treepplr (www.github.com/treeppl/treepplr). The work will include development and implementation of methods to test model adequacy, inference diagnostics, model comparison, and visualization of outputs from various models, including host repertoire evolution, tree inference, and diversification.

The team’s common language is English so fluency in English is essential. To successfully carry out the various tasks, the candidate should take initiative, work independently and demonstrate that they are solution-oriented and can adapt and come up with creative solutions to technical problems. We put strong emphasis on personal qualifications such as collaborative skills. Since the applicant will be working closely with other group members, excellent communication, good will and reliability are required.

Due to Swedish regulation for employment of postdocs, there are two application alternatives:

If you have a PhD degree for less than 3 years, excluding deductible time such as sick or parental leave (until May 11th), follow this link: 

https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=12612&rmlang=UK

If your PhD degree is older than 3 years, follow this link:

https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/jobs-vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=12616&rmlang=UK

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated and independent yet collaborative candidate with documented experience with phylogenetic comparative methods and R-package development.

Postdoctoral appointments are career-developing positions for junior researchers, so we are primarily looking for candidates with a doctoral degree that is three years old at the most (excluding deductible time such as sick or parental leave). The applicant must have a PhD degree when taking up the position.

 Requirements:

• PhD in Ecology, Evolution, Bioinformatics or related areas
• Previous research experience in phylogenetic comparative methods
• Excellent skills in R programming
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English
• Documented ability to independently drive research and publish scientific results
• Good ability to work in teams
• Personal suitability

Merits:

• Research experience on Bayesian statistics and model adequacy
• Experience with development of R packages
• Familiarity with RevBayes and probabilistic programming
• Ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary projects  

The application should consist of the following:

• A personal motivation letter detailing your merits in relation to the qualifications
• CV including list of publications
• Copies of all your published publications
• Contact details for two personal references

The selection between the applications that meet the basic qualifications listed will be based on the merits listed above assessed trough the CV, publications and personal motivation letter. A selection of candidates will be called for an interview, after which personal references may be contacted. A second interview and/or a written test may be relevant as a final selection method. Those who are not selected will only be notified by the system when the position is filled.

About us

The Department of Ecology at SLU is a major centre of ecological research in Scandinavia. We combine research in basic ecology with applied research in nature conservation, wildlife management, forestry and crop protection. 

The Evolving Networks Lab is part of the Insect Ecology unit, where we study the environmental determinants of insect diversity and abundances, the biotic interactions between insects and other organisms (including humans), and the repercussions in terms of ecosystem functioning. To understand current biodiversity, we also need to understand its evolutionary history – to predict its evolutionary future. We aim for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding environmental change and human-nature relationships, which is possible thanks to our collaborations within and outside of academia.

Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/