Postdoctoral Research Associate - University of Sheffield

A postdoctoral position, funded by the European Research Council (ERC), is
available in Prof. Jon Slate's research group (
http://www.jon-slate.staff.shef.ac.uk/) at the University of Sheffield.
This is an outstanding opportunity to apply cutting edge genomics
technologies (ultra-high throughput sequencing and SNP genotyping) to study
microevolution in a classic long-term, individual-based study system - the
great tit population at Wytham Woods Oxford (
http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/egi/research/studysites.htm).

I am looking for somebody with a track record of publishing in leading
journals and skills in one or more of the following areas: molecular
ecology, evolutionary quantitative genetics, QTL mapping, genomewide
association studies, molecular evolution or statistical genetics. The
postdoc will work as part of a team of six (with the PI, two independent
research fellows, one other postdoc and one PhD student) investigating the
genetic basis of adaptive variation in a system which has been the focus of
intensive evolutionary ecology and quantitative genetics studies (e.g.
Garant *et al*. 2005 *Nature* 433: 60-65; Charmantier *et al* 2008
*Science*320: 800-803)
 but where genomics resources were, until recently, lacking.  In this
project we have used high-throughput sequencing (Roche 454) to sequence the
great tit transcriptome (Santure *et al* 2011 BMC Genomics 12: 283) and
mine many thousands of SNPs. We have subsequently developed an ~8k SNP chip
(van Bers *et al *2012 *Mol. Ecol. Resources*. 12: 753-770) which we have
been using to build a linkage map and map QTL. Over the next year we intend
to dramatically increase marker density and applications from people
interested in RAD-Seq, genotyping-by-sequencing or similar approaches are
strongly welcomed. For example publications from our laboratory see
http://www.jon-slate.staff.shef.ac.uk/html/publications.html. The project
involves close collaboration with Professor Ben Sheldon (Oxford University)
and his research group (http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/egi/index.htm) as well as a
group in the Netherlands working on a similar project.

Professor Slate's group is based within the vibrant Department of Animal &
Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield. In the latest Research
Assesment Exercise (RAE 2008), Biological Sciences at Sheffield was ranked
joint 3rd in the UK based on average quality score and 3rd in the UK based
on the proportion of 'world-leading' (4*) and 'internationally excellent'
(3*) research activity (Source: Times Higher
Education<http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=3D404786>)
 It was recently ranked  7th best Environment/Ecology research institution
in the world by Thomson Scientific. Sheffield is a fantastic place to live,
situated on the edge of the Peak District National Park (http://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/).
 It is also one of the most affordable cities in the UK and has a good music, arts and culture scene.

The position is available as soon as possible and is funded until
30thSeptember 2013. I realise this is a relatively short term
position, but opportunities for continued employment can be pursued by the PI and
successful applicant. For example, I can mentor fellowship applications, or
help develop research proposals that build on the work done by the
successful applicant. The closing date is 29th August 2012. For further
details and online applications see
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/index.html, quoting job reference number
UOS004979. The salary is in the range £28,401 - £30,122 per annum.

I welcome informal enquiries (j.slate@sheffield.ac.uk)