The Quintana-Murci laboratory (Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, CNRS UMR2000) is recruiting a post-doctoral researcher in quantitative and population genetics at Institut Pasteur, Paris. Our research is focused on how natural selection, human demography and lifestyle have shaped the patterns of diversity of the human genome and, ultimately, phenotype variation and disease risk (https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/human-evolutionary-genetics/). Specifically, our projects aim to increase our understanding of :
(i) the genetic and evolutionary determinants of phenotype variation,
(ii) the occurrence of natural selection, in its different forms and
(iii) the demography history of human populations, with a focus on Africa and the Pacific.
The current postdoc project will be focused on exploring both the genetic architecture of phenotype variation in Polynesians (height, metabolic functions, skin pigmentation, immune response, etc.) and the evolutionary mechanisms that affect their distribution. The objective is to determine if population differences in these quantitative traits are the result of genetic drift or past or ongoing directional selection, a question that is key to understand human health disparities in the Pacific. This proposal, which combines quantitative genetics, population genetics, computational modelling and the development of statistical frameworks, will shed new light into the mechanisms of human genetic adaptation, during their last journey into uninhabited lands.
Requirements:
– Ph.D. in quantitative genomics, statistical genetics, population genetics, bioinformatics, or computational biology
– Strong programming and bioinformatics skills (R and Bash scripting, cluster computing)
– Proficiency in English.
Duration:
2 years funding are available, and support will be provided to become self-financed through competitive fellowship applications.
Application Procedure:
E-mail a CV, motivation letter and three reference names (in a single pdf file) to quintana@pasteur.fr by **November 30, 2021**.
Please put “Postdoc Quantitative Genetics” in the subject line of your email. Interviews will be held soon after this date.
The starting date can be any time during spring 2022.