Postdoc position in Mathematical Evolutionary Biology, Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology

I am looking for a Postdoc to join my research group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology.

Postdoc position (2 years): Evolutionary dynamics of antibiotic resistance on plasmids

The evolution of antibiotic resistance poses a severe threat to modern healthcare. Clinically relevant resistance is often encoded on plasmids. Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA elements that can be transmitted vertically or be transferred horizontally between cells. The location of resistance genes on plasmids can lead to special evolutionary dynamics. The aim of the project is to develop mathematical models for the evolution and spread of resistance on plasmids. On the mathematical side, the analysis will mainly be based on branching process theory, complemented by deterministic ODE systems and stochastic computer simulations.

The ideal candidate has experience in mathematical modeling in biology and is keen on working on the evolution of drug resistance. Knowledge of a programming language (C, C++, Java, R, Python. . . ) is highly desirable.

Working environment

The postdoc will join a young group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology. In our group, we focus on exploring the role of stochasticity in evolution. In the context of resistance evolution, we closely collaborate with experimental microbiologists at the University of Kiel. The group is part of the Department of Evolutionary Theory. The postdoc will hence be part of a larger community of researchers working at the intersection of mathematics and biology with many opportunities to take part in journal clubs, reading groups etc.

The Max Planck Institute is a lively institute with three departments (Evolutionary Theory, Microbial Population Biology, Evolutionary Genetics) and several additional research groups. It hosts several workshops per year and continuously welcomes international short-term and long-term visitors, creating a stimulating and positive research environment. We maintain close interactions with Kiel University and belong to the Kiel Evolution Center. The area is a center of evolutionary biology in Germany.

Plön

Plön is a small town, embedded into a beautiful landscape with innumerous lakes and close to the Baltic Sea. The area provides ample opportunity for free time activities such as swimming, canoeing, or biking in a stunning environment. At the same time, the cities of Kiel and Lübeck (≥200,000 inhabitants) are only half an hour train ride away. Hamburg (Germany’s second largest city) can be reached within 1.5h by train.

Application
Interested students/Postdocs should send their application (motivation letter, CV, copies of certificates, contact details of two references) by email to uecker@evolbio.mpg.de. Please use the code Postdoc2019 in the subject line.

Application deadline is April 7, 2019. However, the position will remain open until filled by a qualified candidate.

Contact:
Dr. Hildegard Uecker
Research group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics
Department of Evolutionary Theory
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Website: web.evolbio.mpg.de/stochdyn
Email: uecker@evolbio.mpg.de
Phone: + 49 4522 763-536