Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Quantitative Genetics and Genomics programme. The position is available from 1 May 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
 

Title:
PhD in Quantitative Genetics: Improving the efficiency of genomic research in genetically admixed populations

Research area and project description:
Genetic admixture is a result of the exchange of genetic materials between two or more historically differentiated populations, and individuals with admixed genetic background are becoming highly prevalent in both livestock and human populations. In livestock, admixture is artificially created to improve, for example, productivity traits, while in human it arises due to large-scale migration events among different ethnic groups. Admixture provides a unique genetic background for each gene, as ancestry patterns may not only vary between individuals within the same admixed population, but also along the genome of an admixed individual. Genetic admixture challenges the assumptions of statistical methods used in genomic research. So far, the impact of genetic background has been overlooked in genomic research, which largely focused on single populations containing individuals with similar genetic backgrounds. Admixed individuals are either ignored, or not handled properly, limiting our understanding of genetic variation among individuals for complex trait phenotypes.

The main purpose of this project is to understand how diverse ancestral origins of admixed populations translate into differences in their genetic background, and thereby differences in phenotypic expression of complex traits. The project is based on series of simulations, and real data from human and dairy cattle.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Develop and test genomic prediction methods accounting for genetic background effects in admixed populations 
• Develop and compare the accuracy of the statistical approaches for predicting genetic merit of admixed dairy cattle populations, and polygenic risk scores for admixed human populations using simulated and real datasets
• Investigate how genomic prediction accuracy develops over generations
• Dissemination of results by participating in international conferences, and by scientific publications

Project description
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position must:

• Hold a Master's degree (120 ECTS) in a relevant quantitative field (quantitative genetics, statistical genetics, animal science, agrobiology, computational biology, or another related field).
• Have keen interest in statistical and quantitative genetics
• Be enthusiastic for scientific research, and be able to work in a large and diverse group of researchers and industry partners
• Have an interest in precision medicine and precision breeding
• Have sufficient experience in at least one of the scientific programming languages (e.g. Julia, R, Python)
• Be fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Have advanced writing and presentation skills, and strong organisational and communication skills
• Have ability to work independently
• Additional experience in one or more of the following subjects is highly desirable.
  • Genetic parameters’ estimation
  • Genetic/genomic evaluation
  • Bayesian data analysis and McMC
  • Analysis of large data sets

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Centre for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, that is located on the main university campus C. F. Møllers Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Luc Janss, luc.janss@qgg.au.dk (main supervisor)
• Emre Karaman, emre@qgg.au.dk (co-supervisor)

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 26 January 2025 at 23:59 CET.

Preferred starting date is 1 May 2025.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after the deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.