Imperial College London, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton
-----------------------------------------------------------
BBSRC PHD STUDENTSHIP IN STATISTICAL GENETICS/BIONFORMATICS
Whole-genome searches for recent positive selection.
-----------------------------------------------------------
NB Priority area: enhanced stipend
Applications are invited for this 3-year PhD studentship starting
October 2004. Applicants should have a first degree in statistics,
mathematics, computer science, genetics or related quantitative
biological science, at least at the UK upper 2nd level, or
equivalent. You must be a resident of the European Union. For UK
residents the studentship will provide fees plus the standard BBSRC
stipend of UKP 10,500 in 2004 and UKP 12,000 from 2005, plus London
weighting of UKP 2,000 p.a. plus a "priority area" supplement of UKP
2,000 p.a., as well as contributions to research expenses and
conference fees. Non-UK residents are eligible for fees only.
The project involves investigating the genomes of both hominids (the
great apes and ourselves) and several mosquito species to identify
regions that seem to have been affected by positive selection. In both
cases we know that recent evolutionary events have changed the biology
of these organisms and these events must have occurred by changing
specific base pairs in their respective genomes. The aim of the
project is to develop methods to find these selective events in
particular by combining both population genetics approaches and
sequence modelling approaches. For both of these species we now have
their complete genomes and expect considerable population genetics
data to be generated at the sequence level over the forthcoming
years. Detecting these regions may lead to a better understanding of
human evolution (in the apes) or to targets for intervention to assist
in malaria control (in mosquitos). The project will require some
expertise in evolutionary biology, genomics, statistics, and
computing: applicants should have skills in some of these areas and be
enthusiastic to learn the others, in part via self-study guided by the
two supervisors, David Balding at ICL and Ewan Birney at EBI.
The successful applicant will be based within the Statistical Genetics
group at the St Mary's, Paddington, campus of ICL. The group
currently includes 5 academic staff, 7 post-doctoral research staff
and 6 PhD students. Current interests are centred on the development
of statistical methodology for the design and analysis of genetic
association and gene expression studies, and their integration with
epidemiological studies. More generally, ICL offers
internationally-leading facilities and research environment, including
a Bioinformatics Research Centre and Bioinformatics Support Service
(www.bioinformatics.ic.ac.uk), and a range of computing facilities
including the London E-science Centre (www.lesc.imperial.ac.uk). The
student will make frequent visits to the EBI for consultations with
the co-supervisor.
For further details please contact David Balding:
[log in to unmask]
-------------------------------------------------
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Imperial College, St Mary's Campus
Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG
Ph +44 (0)20 7594 3309 Fx 7402 2150
http://155.198.41.240/staff_profiles/dbalding/djb.html
PA Madeline Kirk 7594 3319 [log in to unmask]
-------------------------------------------------
|
