The Leibniz Institute on Aging – Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena is a federal and state government-funded research institute and member of the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft). FLI’s internationally visible and highly competitive research is focused on understanding the mechanisms of aging and associated age-related diseases. Scientists from over 40 countries are currently investigating the molecular mechanisms of aging and the occurrence of age-related diseases. Our aim is to create the basis for new approaches in medicine as a way to improve the health of the elderly (www.leibniz-fli.de).
The Research Group led by Prof. Dr. Dario Riccardo Valenzano is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team in studying demography and adaptive evolution in wild killifish populations. This project will explore the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms shaping adaptation through a combination of genomic, computational, laboratory, and field-based approaches.
Postdoc (m/f/x)
Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics
Job-ID: 25/09
Application by April 30, 2025
Research focus of the lab:
The Valenzano Research Group investigates the evolutionary and ecological causes responsible for the vast diversity of aging rates and lifespans across species in nature. We promote around the world the access of African killifish as a laboratory model by training labs for killifish husbandry, developing and sharing husbandry protocols, sharing laboratory and wild-derived killifish strains and resources for this species.
Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will contribute to research on i) genomic basis underlying the evolution of wild killifish populations, ii) the role of hybridization in adaptation and evolution, and iii) next-generation sequencing and advanced bioinformatics analyses:
- Conducting genomic analyses to investigate hybridization and adaptation in killifish
- Performing next-generation sequencing, sequence alignment, and bioinformatics analyses
- Integrating computational, laboratory, and fieldwork approaches to study population genetics
- Developing and applying statistical and computational models for evolutionary genomics
- Contributing to manuscript preparation, scientific presentations, and grant writing
- Collaborating with an interdisciplinary research team and mentoring junior researchers
- Actively pursuing external funding opportunities
Requirements:
- Ph.D. in biology, physics, computer science, or a related field with prior expertise in:
- Genomics, population genetics, and evolutionary biology
- Sequence alignment and next-generation sequencing techniques
- Computational and statistical analyses of genomic data
- Willingness to engage in lab work, computational work, and fieldwork
- Genuine interest in pursuing an independent academic career
- FELASA-equivalent certification and experience in the planning, execution, and documentation of animal experiments is a plus but not a prerequisite
- Excellent spoken and written English
We offer:
- You will become part of a world-leading research institute dedicated to the biology of aging and have the opportunity to join a very well-equipped Lab with an international team
- Access to multiple state-of-the-art facilities; our work is embedded in the Beutenberg Campus, an interdisciplinary base for innovative research
- A position integrated in the FLI Postdoc Network; the network promotes interdisciplinary collaborations involving clinician scientists, basic scientists, and bioinformaticians and supports career development and postdoctoral training courses
- The contract conditions and the salary will be according to the collective labour agreement for public service employees of the federal states of Germany (E 13 TV-L)
- Flexible working time, a family-friendly working environment that provides a healthy work-life balance, company health management, including support for child care solutions, and dual career options
- We provide support with various qualification and further training opportunities and use of the Haufe learning platform with numerous different online courses
Application:
Please apply online through the FLI application portal by April 30, 2025.
FLI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and promotes diversity. It aims to increase the proportion of underrepresented groups in case of equal suitability. All qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other classification protected by law will receive consideration for employment.
