4-year PhD in Statistical Genomics/Genetic Epidemiology

Language and Genetics Population Genetics of Human Communication
full-time
The
, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, is offering a PhD position in Statistical Genomics/Genetic Epidemiology within the
,
led by Dr Beate St Pourcain and embedded within the
.

Job description

The project will
focus on identifying and modelling the genomic influences
underlying early language performance and social behaviour, including links with brain-related phenotypes, rhythmicity and outcomes in later childhood and adolescence. The project will also study family-related and societal factors that influence language and social development through the environment shaped by parents and neighbourhoods.

Analyses will include information from population-based cohorts (e.g. the
)
and cohorts of individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g. samples from the
).
Statistical analyses will include, for example, Mendelian Randomization-based approaches to better understand possible causal chains as well as structural equation modelling techniques applied to genetic and/or epigenetic data.

Requirements

The successful applicant will hold, or shortly expects to obtain, an MSc or MA qualification in Statistical Genomics, Genetic Epidemiology, Medical Statistics, Computing or a related quantitative discipline. Applicants should have a strong computational background with knowledge of shell, R, Python, Perl or another programming language. Knowledge of one or more of the following data-analytical approaches is an advantage:

• Genomics' methods to analyse the genetic architecture of human phenotypes
• Integration of biological information from a wide range of (publicly available) data resources

Familiarity with the genetic architecture of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a further advantage.

What we offer you

• Full-time position (39 hours per week) with a term of appointment of 4 years. The proposed starting date is 1 October 2024, though the start date is negotiable.
• The salary is determined according to the German TVöD (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst) and is classified in salary group/level E13, 65% of level 1). The current gross monthly salary is EUR 3,008.69, plus a holiday bonus of 8% of the gross salary (EUR 38,992.00 gross per year, including holiday bonus).
• Access to state-of-the-art research and training facilities and a generous conference and travel budget
• 30 days annual leave (based on full-time employment) as well as German and Dutch public holidays.
• A nice team

How to apply

To apply, please submit via
.

• a 2-page statement of interest
• a CV
• a list of publications
• names, email addresses and contact numbers of three referees

Applications will be reviewed 
from 15 May 2024
until the position is filled. 
For informal scientific enquiries, please get in touch with Beate St Pourcain (
beate.stpourcain
[at]
mpi.nl

).
For general enquiries, please contact the secretariat at the Language & Genetics Department (
secretariat.genetics
[at]
mpi.nl
).

The employer

About our institute

The
is a world-leading research institute devoted to interdisciplinary studies of the science of language and communication, including departments on genetics, psychology, development, neurobiology and multimodality of these fundamental human abilities.

We investigate how children and adults acquire their language(s), how speaking and listening happen in real-time, how the brain processes language, how the human genome contributes to building a language-ready brain, how multiple modalities (as in speech, gesture and sign) shape language and its use in diverse languages and how language is related to cognition and culture, and shaped by evolution.

We are part of the
, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The Max Planck Society is
. We recognise the positive value of diversity and inclusion, promote equity and challenge discrimination. We aim to provide a working environment with room for differences, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Therefore, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

Our institute is situated on the campus of Radboud University and has close collaborative links with the 
 and the 
 at Radboud University. We also work closely with other child development researchers as part of the 
.
Staff and students at the MPI have access to state-of-the-art 
.

About the group

The
is led by Dr Beate St Pourcain and embedded within the
. Research within the group focuses on (i) studying the genetic basis of social communication, language and interaction in population-based and clinical cohorts and (ii) developing statistical modelling approaches.

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