Doctoral researcher/project researcher in archaeogenomics

The Faculty of Science at the University of Turku, Department of Biology, invites applications for a contract-based, fixed term doctoral researcher/project researcher position in archaeogenomics. The candidate will study the genomic landscape of uniparentally-inherited haplogroups (Y-chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA) in Finland using both ancient and modern DNA. Analytical approaches will include population genetic and evolutionary modelling techniques. The employment period is 1.1.2027 - 31.12.2027 (first 12 months of funding secured). The successful candidate will be actively helped by the supervisory team in writing grants to secure the remaining funding.

The position is part of the , funded by the Research Council of Finland. Human Diversity brings together research teams from across different faculties to study how human contacts, past environments, and communication networks influence material and immaterial culture, genes, disease burden, transgenerational effects, the evolutionary fitness of people, and languages. Additionally, the researcher will have a guest affiliation at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) in Leipzig, Germany: one of the world's leading multidisciplinary institutes in studying the human past. Researchers will have access to MPI-EVA's computing infrastructure as well as the opportunity to undertake research visits to MPI-EVA.

Job description

The researcher will study the genomic landscape of uniparentally-inherited haplogroups (Y-chromosomes and mitochondrial DNA) in Finland using both ancient and modern DNA. Analytical approaches will include population genetic and evolutionary modelling techniques. Projects can include, amongst others: (1) investigating temporal and geographical variation in Y-chromosome diversity in pre-modern (pre-20th century) Finland; (2) forecast modelling of uniparental haplogroup evolutionary dynamics using SLiM3; (3) using uniparental haplogroups to understand sex biases in the p