Research Associate in Population Genetics Modelling and Environmental DNA (Fixed Term)

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Population Genetics Modelling and Environmental DNA, jointly supervised by Dr Gamze Gursoy in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and Dr Aylwyn Scally in the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge.

The successful candidate will work at the interface of environmental DNA, human population genetics, mathematical modelling, statistical inference, and genomic data science. The project will develop quantitative approaches for understanding how human genetic variation can be detected, modelled, interpreted, and protected in environmental DNA datasets. Environmental DNA is increasingly used to study biodiversity, ecosystems, pathogen surveillance, and human-associated environments, but it also raises new scientific and ethical questions when human genetic material is incidentally captured. This project will address these challenges by combining rigorous population-genetic modelling with computational and statistical methods for analysing complex, low-input, mixed, degraded, or environmentally sampled genomic data.

The role is primarily computational and theoretical, and is particularly suited to a researcher with a strong quantitative background in the mathematics of population genetics, statistical genetics, evolutionary modelling, applied probability, computational biology, or a related field. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of models and inference frameworks for environmental DNA data, with possible areas of focus including admixture, relatedness, ancestry inference, demographic history, allele-frequency modelling, contamination and mixture models, identifiability, uncertainty quantification, and privacy risks associated with human genetic signal in environmental samples.

The appointee will be expected to plan and manage their own research and administration, with guidance as required. They will take an active role in both research groups, contribute to the development of graduate student research skills, and participate in seminars, group meetings, workshops, and interdisciplinary collaborations across DAMTP, Genetics, and related departments.

Applicants should have completed, or be close to completing, a Ph.D. in population genetics, mathematical genetics, statistics, evolutionary genetics, computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, or a closely related quantitative field.

Candidates with strong quantitative training in population genetics, mathematical genetics, or statistical genomics are especially encouraged to apply, especially if their previous work has focused on human genetics, evolutionary genomics, ancient DNA, or theoretical population genetics.

The successful candidate will join a highly interdisciplinary research environment spanning applied mathematics, genetics, computational biology, privacy-preserving data science, and evolutionary genomics. They will work closely with members of the Gursoy and Scally laboratories and will have opportunities to collaborate with researchers across the University of Cambridge and external partners working in genomics, environmental DNA, forensic genetics, and data governance.

To view the full candidate requirements, please refer to the Further Particulars.

Fixed-term: The appointment is for an initial period of 4 years.

Please be advised that, in accordance with funding requirements, applicants must not have resided in the UK for more than 24 months immediately prior to the proposed start date.

Click the 'APPLY through the University of Cambridge recruitment system' button below to be taken to the University jobs page, register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Dr Gamze Gursoy or Dr Aylwyn Scally.

If you have any queries about the application process, please email LE49749@maths.cam.ac.uk.

Please indicate the contact details (including email addresses) of two academic referees on the online application form and upload a full curriculum vitae and a description of your recent research (not to exceed three pages). Please ensure that at least one of your referees is contactable at any time during the selection process and is made aware that they will be contacted by the Mathematics HR Administrator to request that they upload a reference for you to our Web Recruitment System, and please encourage them to do so promptly.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.