Postdoctoral Researcher in Animal Genomics

at  ETH Zrich

100%, ZURICH, FIXED-TERM

The Animal Genomics group within the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at ETH Zurich investigates (epi-)genomes and transcriptomes of farm animals to identify trait-associated genomic features and causal sequence variants. To do so, we develop and apply bioinformatics and statistical methods to characterize population-scale short and long-read sequencing data. We are looking for a motivated researcher who is eager to propose and address cutting-edge research questions within a young and international team. This is a 24-months full-time position with an anticipated start date of March 1st, 2025 (negotiable). The position is based at the main campus of ETH Zurich in the vibrant city of Zurich, Switzerland. You will join the Animal Genomics group led by Hubert Pausch.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for an enthusiastic and collaborative researcher who is eager to contribute to ongoing cutting-edge research projects, support the projects of doctoral students, and develop and implement own research ideas. You will lead a research project that

• aims at characterizing the contribution of structural variants to the heritability of complex traits in cattle
• will identify trait-associated structural variants

To achieve these goals, you will be responsible to curate a long read-sequenced reference panel which allows imputing structural variant genotypes into large mapping cohorts. You will impute SV genotypes, assess imputation accuracy, and conduct association tests to identify causal variants. Statistical fine-mapping will be applied to prioritize candidate causal variants. You will work at a high performance compute cluster and establish reproducible computational workflows with Snakemake.
You are encouraged to make use of the wealth of (epi-)genomic and transcriptomic data we have accumulated over the past years to develop and execute your research ideas. Close interaction with other group members, contributing to other ongoing research projects, and establishing novel collaborations with other scientists are encouraged. Ideally, you will pursue research interests that complement our ongoing efforts.
We are looking for a computational genomics-oriented researcher with strong affinity to statistical genetics. Active participation in international conferences and scientific writing are very much supported.
Our group contributes to the teaching in the study program Agricultural Sciences at ETH. Depending on the seniority of the candidate, a contribution to supervising the Bachelor/Master thesis the teaching of existing courses is expected.

Please refer the Job description for details