BEMÆRK: Ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
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 01 October 2023 or later.
Title
Method development in human statistical genetics, with a focus on classification of complex diseases
Research area and project description
The PhD will be supervised by Professor Doug Speed, and based at the Department of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG) at Aarhus University. Dr Speed's research involves developing methods for better analysing data from genome-wide association studies, with a particular focus on improving our understanding of human complex traits (e.g., physical traits such as height and BMI, or common diseases such as schizophrenia and epilepsy). Dr Speed has developed the software LDAK (www.ldak.org).
The aim of the PhD is to develop new methods with the following goals: to identify causal loci (i.e., find genetic variant that influence phenotypes); to construct prediction models (be able to predict an individual's phenotypes from their genetic information); or to understand genetic architecture (investigate the biological mechanisms underlying complex traits). These methods will then be applied to large-scale datasets (e.g., 100,000s of individuals from UK Biobank). Please see the LDAK website and the following three references for examples of previous methods:
- Reevaluation of SNP heritability in complex human traits (2017) PMID: 28530675
- SumHer better estimates the SNP heritability of complex traits (2019) PMID: 30510236
- Improved prediction from individual-level data and summary statistics (2022) PMID: 34234142
“Many common diseases are highly heterogeneous, meaning that two individuals can be diagnosed with the same disease but have very different progressions or respond very differently to the same medication. These heterogeneous diseases affect a sizeable proportion of the population. For example, approximately one in four people will develop a heterogeneous brain disorder (e.g., a neurological condition such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s Disease, or a psychiatric condition such as depression or schizophrenia)
Previous research indicates that for many heterogeneous diseases, the classification of patients can be improved by incorporating genetic information. However, for this to become a reality, requires statistical tools that do not yet exist. This project will develop novel statistical tools for classifying heterogeneous diseases based on genetic information.”
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 must have a relevant Bachelor’s degree and a relevant Master’s degree (or have completed at least one year of a relevant Master’s degree programme). As the project involves applied statistics, the applicant should have strong knowledge of statistics (e.g., a degree in mathematics, statistics, statistical genetics, computer science, bioinformatics or closely-related subjects). The applicant should ideally have some coding experience (e.g., in R, Stata, Matlab, C, etc). It will be desirable to have had previous experience in genetics, but not necessary. The applicant must be fluent in English, both oral and in writing.
Place of employment and place of work
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is C. F Møllers Alle 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Contacts
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact Professor Doug Speed, doug@qgg.au.dk
How to apply
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 25 June 2023 at 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 01 October 2023.
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.
Please note:
- 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.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Aarhus Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Aarhus Universitet, C. F Møllers Alle 3, 8000 Aarhus C
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 25-05-2023; - ansøgningsfristen er overskredet
Ved skriftlig henvendelse: https://app.researchplanner.net/Peoplexs22/CandidatesPortalNoLogin/ApplicationForm.cfm?PortalID=16581&VacatureID=1083028
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/5834249