Postdoctoral position

A postdoctoral position is available to work on a two-year project entitled “Quantitative Tools for assessing the Correlated Evolution of Genes and Phenotypes: Application to Birds Color Patterns” in collaboration with the teams of Hélène Morlon, Amaury Lambert and Marie Manceau at the Ecole Normale Supérieure and Collège de France in Paris.

 

This project aims at (1) developing model-based phylogenetic inference tools aimed at identifying putative genomic regions implicated in trait evolution over macroevolutionary time scales, and (2) applying the approach herein developed to empirical datasets of color pattern variation in clades of birds.

 

The postdoctoral researcher will lead the development of an integrated phylogenetic model combining molecular and phenotypic evolution for analysing the correlated evolution of genes and phenotypes, implemented in a Bayesian framework. He/she will also be responsible for the compilation of available genetic data for birds. The color pattern data is already partly available and will be collected over the course of the project by the Manceau team.

 

Applicants with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply (e.g. mathematics, physics, computational biology, evolutionary biology, genomics, developmental biology). Interest/experience in advancing phylogenetic comparative methods, models of molecular and/or phenotypic evolution and Bayesian statistics will be particularly appreciated.

 

Applicants should have solid quantitative and programming skills, as well as good writing skills. Speaking French is not mandatory.

 

The postdoctoral researcher will be primarily based at the Institute of Biology of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), with regular visits at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB) at the Collège de France. The IBENS and the CIRB are two multidisciplinary research centres in Biology with a combined staff of over 500 members, both conveniently located in the Latin Quarter in downtown Paris. The centres develop research in a wide range of disciplines, including evolutionary biology, ecology, developmental biology, computational biology, genetics, and comparative genomics.

 

Review of applications begins immediately and until November 28th. The starting date is flexible starting February 2022. To apply, please submit: i) a cover letter summarizing research interests and expertise ii) a Curriculum Vitae (including publications), and iii) the names and contact information for at least two references, all compiled in a single pdf file. Questions and application should be sent to Hélène Morlon (helene.morlon@bio.ens.psl.eu), Amaury Lambert (amaury.lambert@college-de-france.fr) and Marie Manceau (marie.manceau@college-de-france.fr).