Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow – P Skoglund Lab

Reporting to: Pontus Skoglund, Group Leader

Contract term: This is a full-time, fixed-term position for 4 years, on Crick terms and conditions of employment

The Research Group

Pontus Skoglund's Ancient Genomics Lab at the Francis Crick Institute in London is looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in ancient human population genomics, to focus on reconstructing genetic history and/or natural selection with whole-genomes sequenced in the lab. The Skoglund Ancient Genomics lab (www.skoglundlab.org) is a dynamic team with backgrounds in computational biology, molecular biology and archaeology, with state-of-the-art computational infrastructure and bioinformatic support. The lab sequences ancient DNA from thousands of samples every year. The Francis Crick Institute (www.crick.ac.uk) is the largest biomedical institute under one roof in Europe.

Project summary

Ancient genomics has provided remarkable insights into the human past. Genome-wide SNP data is available for over 10,000 individuals, but whole-genomes of high-enough quality to reconstruct imputed diploid genomes are more rare. Genetic history has been possible to infer between differentiated ancestries, but finer-scale genetic history has remained elusive. Recently, we have developed a new method, dubbed Twigstats, that can boost high-resolution ancestry modelling e.g. using the qpAdm framework by 10-fold or more (Speidel et al. 2024, bioRxiv). This postdoc offers an opportunity to analyse human genomes generated in the lab and from the literature to reconstruct high-resolution genetic history in Europe and elsewhere.

New whole-genome data also offers opportunities to study natural selection and functional genomics in greater detail. For example, we have revealed evidence for natural selection on immunity in Neolithic Europe, where late farming groups had an excess of ancestry from previous hunter-gatherers at the major MHC immunity locus (Davy et al. 2023 Current Biology). This postdoc offers an opportunity to work with high-resolution genomes generated in the lab and from the literature to study single-locus selective sweeps, polygenic natural selection, and evolution of copy number variants.

Postdoctoral Fellows will lead their own projects, contribute to other projects on a collaborative basis (both in the lab and with external collaborators) and may guide PhD students in their research. The ability to work in a team is essential.

Experience and competencies

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold,

Open, Collegial, in addition to the following:

• PhD (or in final stages of PhD submission) with a project on population genetics or a related field

• Experience of studies of genetic history and/or natural selection

• A productive track record of publications and/or submitted manuscripts

• Strong computational and coding skills

• Ability to manage project timelines at pace

• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially in small teams

If you are interested in applying for this role, please apply via our website.

Please note, all offers of employment are subject to successful security screening and continuous eligibility to work in the United Kingdom. If you require a visa to work in the UK we will help support your application should you be successful.

About Us

At the Crick, we conduct research at the forefront of biomedical research. We combine rigour with an open and collaborative culture, and are outward-looking, reflecting our status as a partnership of six organisations aiming to pool knowledge, ideas and resources.

We have a wide research portfolio with no divisions or departments, bringing biomedical researchers together with clinicians, physical scientists and applied scientists from our pharmaceutical partners.

We aim to attract the most talented researchers and support them to tackle innovative research questions. Our science technology platforms provide our researchers with access to state-of-the-art technology and expertise.

We provide an excellent learning environment with dedicated education programmes in public engagement with science, education and personal development, and a postdoc training programme that prepares scientists for leadership roles in science.

Find out what benefits the Crick has to offer:

For more information on our great pay and benefits package please click here: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/pay-and-benefits

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.

Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our Institute’s success.

The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices.

Read more on our website: https://www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-study/life-at-the-crick/equality-diversity-and-inclusion