Post-doctoral position in microbial ecology - opening soon!
Here is a sneak preview of our new post-doc position that will be live as soon as our HR department approves it! Stay tuned!
Michigan State University is one of the top institutions for research in microbial ecology and evolution. One position for a Postdoctoral Research Associate is available in the laboratory of Dr. Ashley Shade. The Shade lab is affiliated with the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences.
We seek an excellent post-doctoral associate to conduct research to understand the rules of microbiome resilience in support of an ongoing, NSF-funded CAREER award. Applicants should hold a PhD in a field related to ecology/evolution, microbial sciences, plant and soil sciences, bioinformatics/genomics or related field. This exciting project will investigate microbiome responses in soils overlying the Centralia, Pennsylvania coal seam fire. The project will include analysis of metagenome and metatranscriptome data from a 6-year annual field effort, and will integrate ecological and/or evolutionary theory for quantifying mechanisms that support microbiome resilience after extreme disturbance.
The successful applicant will enjoy a wide degree of liberty in the creative determination of the next steps in this research, which can be tailored to creative interests aligned with our overarching goals to understand resilience, and can include at least one or combination of experimental, computational, or theoretical work. In addition, the post-doc will receive high-quality individualized mentoring and professional development opportunities according to their career goals. The new post-doc will additionally benefit from the events, resources and intellectual communities of the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, the Center for Microbial Ecology, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, and the Plant Resilience Institute.
Demonstrated experience with bioinformatic and statistical analyses of microbiome sequence data is required. The successful applicant will be able to write and execute code in the R language for statistical computing, have experience with GitHub/version control, and experience with or willingness to learn job submission to a high-performance compute cluster We expect the successful candidate to have a working knowledge of relevant ecological and evolutionary frameworks. Experience in conducting field studies or experiments is welcomed. A skillset in microbiology and molecular biology techniques is required if the candidate desires to pursue wet-lab experiments. A familiarity with dynamic or time series modeling, regime shift analyses, or other advances in innovative multivariate, phylogenomic, or related approaches will be viewed favorably.
The successful applicant will independent, motivated, and able to take leadership roles as part of a collaborative team. S/he will have as strong writing and communication skills. The ShadeLab is committed to high scientific integrity, to open and reproducible science, and to promoting a welcoming and inclusive team environment.
The position is for two years, contingent on satisfactory performance evaluations after 1 year. The position offers a competitive stipend, standard Michigan State University benefits, and also funds for research expenses. Candidates must be within 3 years of a PhD degree by the time the position starts. Ph.D. candidates expecting to graduate in spring or summer 2021 are also encouraged to apply.
Note: This position will be posted for applicants to apply through the MSU Careers Site. This post will be updated with the job posting number and link when it is live. Applications sent via email will cannot be considered - please use MSU Careers site to submit your materials. Inquiries welcome!