Postdoctoral Fellow - P Skoglund Lab

Salary for this Role:

Salary: From £45,500 per annum with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Job Title:

Reports to:

Closing Date:

Job Description:

Postdoctoral Fellow

Details of the role: 4 yr. fixed term contract, full-time. Working pattern: Monday – Friday.

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. 

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to collaborate and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy. 

About the role

Pontus Skoglund's Ancient Genomics Lab at the Francis Crick Institute in London is looking for a postdoctoral fellow interested in ancient human or canid population genomics, to focus on reconstructing genetic history and/or natural selection with whole-genomes sequenced in the lab. The Skoglund Ancient Genomics lab (www.skoglundlab.org) is a dynamic team with backgrounds in computational biology, molecular biology and archaeology, with state-of-the-art computational infrastructure and bioinformatic support. The lab sequences ancient DNA from thousands of samples every year.

Ancient genomics has provided remarkable insights into the human past. Genome-wide SNP data is available for over 10,000 individuals, but whole-genomes of high-enough quality to reconstruct imputed diploid genomes are rarer. Genetic history has been possible to infer between differentiated ancestries, but finer-scale genetic history has remained elusive. Recently, we have developed a new method, dubbed Twigstats, that can boost high-resolution ancestry modelling by 10-fold or more (Speidel et al. 2025, Nature). This postdoc offers an opportunity to analyse human genomes generated in the lab and from the literature to reconstruct high-resolution genetic history in Europe and elsewhere.

What you will be doing

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Crick, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Analysing human genomes to reconstruct high-resolution genetic history
• Study natural selection and functional genomics in greater detail
• Work with high-resolution genomes generated in the lab and from the literature to study single-locus selective sweeps, and polygenic natural selection

About you

The essential criteria you will bring

• PhD (or expected) with a project on population genetics or a related field
• Experience of studies of genetic history and/or natural selection
• Experience with ancient genome data is beneficial
• A productive track record of publications and/or submitted manuscripts
• Strong computational and coding skills
• Ability to manage project timelines at pace
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially in small teams

See the full job description here.

Learn more about the lab here.

About Working at the Crick

Our values  

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture! 

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. 

• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. 

• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. 

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and you will be asked as part of the process if you wish to apply under the scheme. We will make reasonable adjustments if you need them. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email weronika.kucala@crick.ac.uk 

To find out more about life at the Crick click here.

What will you receive?  

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development: 

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK

• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays. 

• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%. 

• Health & Well-being: 

• 24/7 GP consultation services. 

• Occupational health services and mental health support programs. 

• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans. 

• Work-Life Balance: 

• Back-up care for dependents. 

• Childcare support allowance. 

• Annual leave purchase options. 
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.

• Perks: 

• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. 

• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction. 

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.