Job Description

Postdoctoral Researcher in Mutagenesis, Population and Statistical Genetics

A postdoctoral training opportunity is now available in the Seplyarskiy Lab in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. We are currently accepting applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in mutagenesis, statistical genomics, and computational biology.

Research directions

• Mutagenesis: evolution of mutational mechanisms across the tree of life; somatic mutagenesis and clonal dynamics; reconstruction of early developmental lineages from mosaic mutations.
• Population genetics: quantifying recurrence and number of mutational origins in large cohorts; discovery of strongly selected sites and constraint from recurrence-aware models.
• Statistical genetics: partitioning heritability and enrichment in DNA-repair and mutagenesis pathways (including cancer-relevant contexts); development of mutation rate model

Training & environment

• Close mentorship in mutagenesis, population genetics, and statistical genetics
• Active joint journal clubs with external groups (Ziyue Gao - UPenn, Evan Koch - Yale), collaborative community at UTSW’s McDermott Center.
• Access to large datasets (e.g., biobanks, gnomAD-class resources) and compute.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and test new quantitative models of mutation, selection, and clonal evolution.
• Develop methodstailored to large-scale genomic datasets.
• Lead analyses, interpret results and drive manuscripts to completion.
• Collaborate on related work across the lab’s projects.

Qualifications

· Ph.D. (or equivalent, or soon to be completed) in Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Population/Statistical Genetics, Bioinformatics/Computational Biology

· Proficiency in R and/or Python/ or other languages

· Plus factors: experience with method development, exposure to population-genetic theory (selection, demography, coalescent/ARG), mutational-process modeling, scalable data engineering, cloud/HPC, or ancient DNA.

Application Instructions

Interested individuals should send a CV, cover letter briefly describing previous research experience, and a summary of current research interests.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

Appointment rank will be commensurate with academic accomplishment and experience. Consideration may be given to applicants seeking less than a full-time schedule.

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers, visit https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/employees/hr-resources/