Postdoctoral Associate

Stony Brook University • Town of Brookhaven, NY

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

A two-year postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Sheila Kitchen in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the Stony Brook University. We seek a postdoctoral candidate at the intersection of molecular ecology, evolutionary genomics, and bioinformatics. The successful candidate will split their time between two core research areas: (1) investigating the evolutionary genomics and symbiosis dynamics of cnidarians, and (2) managing the deployment and development of STAGdb (Standard Tools for Acroporid Genotyping Database). The candidate will also be encouraged to develop and pursue their own areas of research interest. The candidate will conduct original research, write manuscripts for publication, participate in professional meetings, and collaborate with faculty and graduate students at Stony Brook University and the Marine Conservation Group led by Dr. Iliana Baums at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (Baums Lab).

Requirements

• Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in marine biology, genomics, computational biology, evolutionary biology, or a closely related field in hand by the start of the appointment.
• Track record of research productivity as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications.
• Proficiency in R and at least one scripting language (e.g., Python).
• Record of managing and analyzing large-scale genomics or population genetics datasets.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability and willingness to work in both laboratory and field environments.
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Strong background in evolutionary genetics/genomics, specifically using genomic approaches to analyze introgression, clonal diversity, and/or host-symbiont associations.
• Experience developing, scaling, or maintaining workflows within the Galaxy platform or similar bioinformatics workflow management systems.
• Experience querying and managing relational databases, including handling SQL queries and database syncing routines.
• Familiarity with the biological challenges of cnidarian-algal symbioses (co-analyzing host and symbiont data) is an asset but not required.

Responsibilities

• Maintain operations of STAGdb, and monitor Google Group, GitHub and email for user support.
• Feature development for STAGdb, testing and reproducible documentation.
• Wet laboratory experimentation to be determined between Dr. Kitchen and candidate.
• Manuscript preparation including manuscript writing, editing, and figure preparation. May also assist in grant writing.
• Training/mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in analysis of sequencing data.
• Other duties as assigned, which may include professional development activities, outreach, or attendance at conferences and workshops.

Benefits

• FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA.
• Minimum salary threshold must be met to maintain FLSA exemption.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree