Vacancies and jobs

• Department of Animal Environment and Health in Uppsala: 1 Research student (2 years) in the research education subject: Ethology
  Application form available here
  
  Welfare assessment in horses: an animal based approach
  In addition to the wide variety of purposes horses serve, there are many procedures and systems available with regard to the housing, feeding, management, rearing and training of horses. These may cause a variety of welfare problems for the horse. Recent scientific work on animal welfare assessment focuses more and more on ‘output measures’. It is recognised that input requirements are not a full guarantee for good welfare due to the complex interactions and relationships between animal, environment and management. Moreover, it is practically impossible to regulate each and every detail of housing and management. There is therefore a need for integrated welfare assessments based on output measures to evaluate the welfare at horse facilities, to identify specific risk factors at such facilities and to provide related advice for improvements. Also regulations increasingly develop towards including more output measures. There is little research addressing outcome based welfare assessment in horses. The present project aims therefore to analyse available horse based measures for welfare assessment and to design a first prototype of an assessment system. Improvement measures will also be collated. The project will also identify knowledge gaps and propose a related strategic research agenda.
  
  Qualifications
  A degree in veterinary science is preferred. Candidates with a BSc or MSc degree in biology or animal science may also be considered. Demonstrable knowledge of and experience with horses is also a requirement. A good connection to the horse industry is valued.
  
  Forms for funding or employment
  Employment as Research student 2 years
  (Deadline: July 2010)

• Post-doc position in chicken genomics and biodiversity
  
  A three year post-doc position in the field of chicken genomics and biodiversity is available at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Farm Animal Genetics Mariensee, 31535 Neustadt, Germany, to start 1st August 2010.
  
  The postdoctoral researcher will be working on a project which is part of an interdisciplinary network for genome based research in plants and animals (Synbreed), funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
  For more information regarding the project go to www.synbreed.tum.de
  
  Description of Research Project: A wide range of chicken breeds will be genotyped with a high density chicken SNP array. The resulting data is a vital source for population genomic analysis to assess phylogenetic history and relationships between populations and individuals. Multivariate methods will be used for data analysis to identify new ways to combine molecular genetic and phenotypic information in biodiversity studies. The successful candidate will contribute to tasks associated with understanding of the importance of biodiversity in farm animal species and its molecular mechanisms based on next generation genotyping and sequencing as well as the application of sophisticated statistical methods. The post will be part of the Breeding and Genetics Research group at the Mariensee Institute (FLI) http://www.fli.bund.de/de/startseite/forschung-institute.html
  Required qualifications of applicant: PhD degree in animal genetics or population biology; background and interest in animal domestication biology.
  Desirable skills include knowledge in molecular techniques as next generation genotyping and sequencing, solid statistical background (preferably including Bayesian methods, multivariate analyses, LD based methods) as well as experience in usage of statistical software packages, and skills in data analysis for genetic studies. The applicant should be enthusiastic and self- motivated.
  A 1-page cover letter of interest, a CV and contact information with two references should be sent to Dr. Steffen Weigend ( steffen.weigend@fli.bund.de )
  (Deadline: July 2010)
   

• A PhD position is available at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, Laboratory of Geographic Information Systems (LASIG) (4 years)
  
  Topic
  Very High Resolution Digital Elevation Models (VHR DEMs) and multiscale analysis using the wavelet transform: an application to landscape genomics *Key-words*: GIS, spatial analysis, DEMs, landscape genetics, landscape genomics, natural selection, adaptation, signal processing, wavelet transform, structure tensors *Supervisors*: Dr Stéphane Joost (LASIG, EPFL); Prof Dimitri Van De Ville (Medical Image Processing Lab, EPFL & University of Geneva); Prof François Golay (LASIG, EPFL)
  
  Description of the PhD project
  Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are able to provide a diversity of geomorphometric (slope, aspect, curvature), hydro-morphometric (e.g. wetness), and also climatic (e.g.solar radiation) predictors. But DEMs are underexploited environmental variables in landscape genetics and landscape genomics. In particular, increasingly available Very High Resolution DEMs (1 m for XY coordinates, and ~0.5 m for Z) acquired with LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) technology, are able to generate high-resolution habitat predictors (Andrew & Ustin 2009), and make it possible to implement a novel multiscale analysis. A recent PhD thesis (Kalbermatten 2010) showed that the application of the wavelet transform (signal processing theory) is a clever way to generalize topography. A powerful feature of Wavelets applied to DEMs is the capacity to decompose DEMs into multiscale spaces. This permit to come closer to what happens in nature as regards the concept of scale, and to replicate at best the spatial continuum constituting landscapes. Moreover, wavelet coefficients can be interpreted as pixel value changes (gradients) in a local neighbourhood (a window of 3x3 pixels for example) on the basis of which it is possible to construct 3 additional DEM derivatives (structure tensors): the energy of the local gradient, the dominant orientation of local structures, and coherency (indication of isotropy/anisotropy).
  The goal of the thesis is to apply the wavelet transform approach and to use the new DEM variables (second order derivatives) described hereabove in the context of different case studies (plants, wild and domestic animals) implementing the landscape genomics approach (see Hanotte et al. 2010) to detect loci possibly under natural selection (Joost et al. 2007; Manel et al. 2010).
  
  Requirements for the position
  Master in Science (biology, environment, computer & communication, etc.), excellent skills in GIS and spatial analysis, excellent skills in population genetics, background in landscape ecology/landscape genetics, good mathematical background, basics in signal processing, good knowledge of statistics, initiative, high motivation, teamwork, fluency in english, french is an advantage (official language in Lausanne area).
  
  Please send applications with CV, one-page statement of research interests, and the names and addresses of two referees as a single PDF file by email to: Stephane.Joost@epfl.ch
  
  Start of position
  As soon as possible.
  
  Salary
  Year 1: CHF 50'500, Year 2: CHF 52'500, Year 3: CHF 54'500, Year 4: 56'500 (according to EPFL's PhD salary standards). For further details and questions, send an email to: Stephane.Joost@epfl.ch
  
  (Deadline for applications: September 1, 2010).