The group of Prof Christophe Dessimoz is seeking candidates for a Postdoctoral (Premier Assistant) position at the Departments of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Working at the interface between biology and computer science, the Dessimoz Lab (https://lab.dessimoz.org/) seeks to better understand evolutionary and functional relationships between genes, genomes, and species. The group is also a member of the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics.
The ideal applicant will have research interests generally aligned with the interests of the Dessimoz Lab. We have ongoing projects that would benefit from a skilled and motivated postdoc working in the areas of phylogenetic methods, in semantic data integration (e.g. RDF/SPARQL), and in bioinformatic algorithmic development. However, this is a broad search, and we expect the successful applicant to develop her or his own research direction in collaboration with the lab.
Job information
- Expected start date in position: 01/09/2020 or to be agreed
- Contract length: 1 year (renewable)
- Activity rate: 100%
- Workplace: Lausanne-Dorigny, Switzerland
Your responsibilities
The details of each research project will be defined together with Prof. Dessimoz depending on the main interests and competencies of the Postdoc and ongoing opportunities in the lab. Most of his/her time will be dedicated to research. The University of Lausanne has a strong training record and a minor contribution to teaching is thus expected, including the possibility of supervising masters students.
Your qualifications
We are seeking to recruit candidates with either a PhD degree in biology with solid computational and quantitative skills, or with a PhD in a quantitative area (mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering, ...) with prior research activity in biological sciences.
Prior experience in publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals is required, but note that we support the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) principles.
Candidates need to have demonstrated programming skills—ideally in the areas of bioinformatics, computational biology, and comparative genomics. Experience with evolutionary and comparative genomics analyses would be an advantage. The applicants should have a strong ability to work in a team.
A requirement from the funder (Swiss National Science Foundation) is that postdocs can only be employed up to 5 years after obtaining their PhD (6 in case of maternity leave).
Desirable interpersonal skills
- Ability to plan research goals with other team members and work to deadlines
- Good cooperative skills with other researchers and team members
- Good communication skills, ability to keep an open mind and to communicate your ideas to others
- Enjoy mentoring colleagues and teaching students
What the position offers you
We offer a stimulating working environment within a multicultural, diverse, and dynamic academic setting, with many opportunities for professional training and career development. The Department of Computational Biology brings together researchers using computational approaches and taking advantage of data generated by high-throughput technologies to address a plethora of biological and medical questions: https://www.unil.ch/dbc
Although French is the common language in the Lausanne region, research activities, interactions, and seminars in both departments are conducted in English.
How to apply The application should fill in the form linked below and provide the following elements: Cover letter detailing your research interests, experience and motivation for applying, as well as your expectations from this position.
- Curriculum vitae including list of publications
- Reference to best paper accompanied by a brief supporting statement (approx. 200 words)
- The names and contact details of 2-3 references
- Copy of official PhD certificate (or, if you will be graduating shortly, the expected graduation date)
Applications should be submitted via the UNIL HR system using this following link: http://bit.ly/postdoc4
Committed to promoting equal employment opportunities among its staff members, the University of Lausanne particularly encourages applications by women.
To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by 24 July 2020.
