PhD fellowship in Eco-evolutionary Modelling of Pathogen Dynamics at the Globe Institute

 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen

 

We are offering a PhD fellowship in Eco-evolutionary Modelling of Pathogen Dynamics commencing January 6th, 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Our group
The Racimo group is a research group based at the Globe Institute, specializing in evolutionary genomics, statistical modelling and computational analysis of ancient DNA. We aim to integrate ecological and archaeological information to understand how organisms change over time, and develop new tools for modelling evolution across space and time. Our research is informed and complemented by our work on scientific advocacy and socio-ecological justice, and we are actively working to transform our academic activities and practices in the service of degrowth and postgrowth futures.

Project description
The project is centred on understanding the (paleo-) ecological conditions for the spread of particular human pathogens, and on critically evaluating proposed socio-ecological responses to this spread. It will be focused on infectious agents that are likely to undergo a niche expansion under ongoing climate and ecological breakdown. First, the PhD student will use a combination of (paleo-)ecological data and ancient genomes to model the spatio-temporal spread of these pathogens and develop robust ecological niche models, which are informed not just by the present but also the past inferred ranges of these organisms. The student will then refine models of future pathogen spread under the light of this data. Finally, the student will critically re-evaluate proposed socio-ecological responses to pathogen spread using information gathered throughout the project and from a review of the existing literature (in terms of public health planning, research funding allocation and medical preparedness to pathogen spread, among other societal factors).

Principal supervisor:

Associate Professor Fernando Racimo, Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, fracimo@sund.ku.dk

Co-supervisors:

Associate Professor Martin Sikora, Section for GeoGenetics, Globe Institute

Professor David Nogués-Bravo, Section for Biodiversity, Globe Institute

 

Start:                  January 6th, 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Duration:          3 years as a PhD fellow

 

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS pointsParticipating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree that is related to the subject areas of the project, e.g. biology, ecology, public health, political ecology, statistics, computer science, health sciences, etc. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant research and/or teaching experience, or experience in other activities related to the project
• An interest in the project
• An interest in the research group

 

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute (Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353 Copenhagen K).

About Globe Institute
The Globe Institute is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The Institute’s main purpose is to address basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches. The institute operates at the intersection of natural and medical sciences and the humanities. Information on the institute can be found at: https://www.globe.ku.dk/.

The Globe Institute is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where employees and students can belong and thrive. See website for more information. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. Candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, contribute to diversity and competencies of our Institute are encouraged to apply. The University of Copenhagen strives to offer a family friendly and flexible working environment with a sustainable balance between work- and private life, including parental leave schemes (up to 47 weeks for both parents) and up to six weeks of paid holidays per year. The university offers a variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The starting date is January 6th, 2025 or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at 30,700 DKK/approximately 4,100 EUR (April 2024 level) plus pension.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 15 September 2024, 23.59 pm CEST.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in mid-October.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.