The University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral Research Associate
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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:
- 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 work with chromosome-level reference genomes, large WGS datasets, and high-performance computing, and collaborate closely with an RA responsible for lab work. The role includes opportunities for fieldwork in France, work with collaborators in Spain and Czech Republic, presenting at international conferences, and supervising project students.
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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
How To Apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
The closing date for applications is 13 November 2026. 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.
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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
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