The Ragland lab in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado, Denver is seeking a postdoc to lead projects on the evolution of transcriptional plasticity and to contribute to analysis and interpretation of clinal, population genomic data sets. The primary project will involve 1) analysis of RNA sequencing data from experiments examining thermal plasticity of expression across Drosophila species from varying thermal environments, and 2) performing experiments to understand the thermal sensitivity of the gene regulatory landscape, also in a comparative framework. There are also opportunities to contribute to analysis and interpretation of clinal, genomic variation in populations of the fly Rhagoletis pomenella undergoing speciation with gene flow, and potentially to other ongoing projects in the lab (see below).

Initial appointment is for 12 months, with the possibility of extension.

Though the preference is for onsite, a hybrid onsite/remote model may be possible.

Required qualifications:

1. A PhD in a biological, or biology-adjacent subdiscipline
2. A solid background in either comparative/evolutionary physiology or evolutionary genetics
3. A solid background in statistics
4. Competence on the *nix command line and experience working with next generation sequencing data
5. Reasonable proficiency in R

Preferred qualifications:

1. Experience with wet lab molecular biology
2. High proficiency in one or more programming languages OR extensive experience with statistical models underlying analyses of gene expression, population genetic data, or phylogenetic comparative data

Salary:

Salary will be set on the current NIH postdoc pay scale with an excellent and flexible benefits package through CU.

The lab:

The Ragland lab is broadly interested in comparative and evolutionary physiology, the genomic architecture of rapid adaptation, and adaptation in variable environments (see https://raglandlab.wordpress.com). We are a friendly and diverse group who ask questions that cross biological disciplines and collaborate broadly to tackle these questions from multiple angles.

CU Denver and Integrative Biology:

The University of Colorado, Denver, the department of Integrative Biology, partner institutions (e.g., Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Botanic Gardens), and nearby universities in the Front Range collectively provide a broad research community including infrastructure (e.g., sequencing and imaging facilities, high performance computing) and opportunities for collaboration. Denver is a vibrant city and serves as a gateway to world class outdoor recreation.

The review process:

Application review will begin 30 May and continue until the position is filled. Please submit a pdf file including 1) A brief cover letter outlining your experience, goals, and fit for the position, 2) CV, and 3) 1 – 2 representative publications or pre-prints to Greg Ragland at gregory.ragland@ucdenver.edu. Informal inquiries are welcome, I am happy to talk through more specifics about pre-existing data and planned experiments.