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The University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral Research Associate
City of Edinburgh On-site 2-5 yrs exp£41k – £49k / year
Population GenomicsEvolutionary GenomicsComputational GenomicsPythonR
Requirements
Applicants must hold a PhD in evolutionary or population genomics, or a related field, or be due to complete one within three months. Strong Python or R, computational genomics, and statistical skills are required, along with enthusiasm for large genomic datasets and strong problem-solving, communication, and organizational abilities; experience with methods for detecting introgression and selective sweeps is desirable.
Job Description
Job Description
Grade UE07: £41,064- £ 48,822 per annum
School of Biological Sciences/ College of Sciences & Engineering
Full Time- 35 hours per week
36 months fixed term contract
The Opportunity
We are looking for a skilled and motivated 3‑year Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a NERC-funded project on adaptive introgression in European butterflies, led by Dr Konrad Lohse and Dr Simon Martin. The PDRA will lead population genomic analyses across two work packages:
You will join Konrad Lohse’s lab in the dynamic Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, as part of a project funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC). Applicants must have a PhD (or to be completed in 3 months) in evolutionary/population genomics or a related field, strong skills in Python/R, computational genomics and statistics, and enthusiasm for working with large genomic datasets. The post requires creativity in problem solving, and strong communication and organisational skills. An understanding of inference methods for detecting introgression and selective sweeps is desirable. Questions should be directed to konrad.lohse @ed.ac.uk
View The Full Job Description
A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)
The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 13 November 2026.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
Interviews will be held online the week of 23 November 2026.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About The Team
At the Institute of Evolutionary Biology we study evolution in the broadest possible sense, from virtually every angle and using a great range of organisms and techniques. Our research falls under three broad themes (Evolutionary and Quantitative Genetics, Evolutionary Ecology and Behaviour, Biodiversity and Ecology)
Our interdisciplinary research and teaching benefits from strong links with members of the Institute of Immunology and Infection Research (IIIR), the Edinburgh Infectious Diseases network (EID), the Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, the Life Physics Group, the Roslin Institute, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Our funders include BBSRC, NERC, charities and government bodies.
To find out more visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/evolutionary-biology
Grade UE07: £41,064- £ 48,822 per annum
School of Biological Sciences/ College of Sciences & Engineering
Full Time- 35 hours per week
36 months fixed term contract
The Opportunity
We are looking for a skilled and motivated 3‑year Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a NERC-funded project on adaptive introgression in European butterflies, led by Dr Konrad Lohse and Dr Simon Martin. The PDRA will lead population genomic analyses across two work packages:
- Comparative scans of selective sweeps across 42 butterfly species (21 sister-species pairs) to quantify how often adaptive evolution is fuelled by introgressed variants and to identify their functional targets.
- Analysis of a hybrid zone system, integrating whole‑genome resequencing and long‑read sperm sequencing to find spatial population genomic signals of gene conversion and adaptive introgression.
You will join Konrad Lohse’s lab in the dynamic Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, as part of a project funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC). Applicants must have a PhD (or to be completed in 3 months) in evolutionary/population genomics or a related field, strong skills in Python/R, computational genomics and statistics, and enthusiasm for working with large genomic datasets. The post requires creativity in problem solving, and strong communication and organisational skills. An understanding of inference methods for detecting introgression and selective sweeps is desirable. Questions should be directed to konrad.lohse @ed.ac.uk
View The Full Job Description
A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
- Responsibility and autonomy
- Variety every day
- Excellent benefits and support
- Contributing to the work and purpose of the University.
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
- A competitive salary.
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)
The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 13 November 2026.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
Interviews will be held online the week of 23 November 2026.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About The Team
At the Institute of Evolutionary Biology we study evolution in the broadest possible sense, from virtually every angle and using a great range of organisms and techniques. Our research falls under three broad themes (Evolutionary and Quantitative Genetics, Evolutionary Ecology and Behaviour, Biodiversity and Ecology)
Our interdisciplinary research and teaching benefits from strong links with members of the Institute of Immunology and Infection Research (IIIR), the Edinburgh Infectious Diseases network (EID), the Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, the Life Physics Group, the Roslin Institute, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Our funders include BBSRC, NERC, charities and government bodies.
To find out more visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/evolutionary-biology
Education
Postgraduate Degree
Skills
Population GenomicsEvolutionary GenomicsComputational GenomicsPythonRStatistical AnalysisWhole-Genome ResequencingLong-Read SequencingHigh-Performance ComputingIntrogression DetectionSelective Sweep DetectionProblem SolvingCommunicationOrganizationResearch CollaborationStudent Supervision