Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen
Postdoctoral positions in ancient environmental genomics within the Ancient Envi
Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Globe, Arizona, United States, 85501
Postdoctoral positions in ancient environmental genomics within the Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability (AEGIS)
Join to apply for the role at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen. This is one or more two‑year postdoctoral positions starting 1 March 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Our research AEGIS is a pioneering research centre headed by Prof. Eske Willerslev, bringing together world‑leading interdisciplinary teams to develop sustainable, biodiverse agricultural practices. The centre combines ancient environmental DNA, genomics, metagenomics, informatics, biostatistics, evolutionary biology, ecology, geology, archaeology, plant engineering and agricultural crop research. The group leverages aeDNA to reconstruct past ecosystems and innovate computational methods for analysing ancient DNA data.
Your job As a postdoctoral researcher you will sit at the intersection of community ecology and population genomics, working with large‑scale ancient environmental DNA data. You will:
Apply computational and statistical approaches to reconstruct past communities, quantify species interactions, and test ecosystem responses to environmental change.
Integrate population‑genomic analyses to infer evolutionary dynamics, demography, gene flow and adaptation.
Contribute to work packages on interglacial deposits and ancient desertification, using these archives as testbeds for your analyses.
Advance methods that connect population‑level processes with community assembly.
Qualifications Essential Experience and Skills
Demonstrated expertise in aeDNA analysis and metagenomic pipelines.
Strong command‑line skills and experience building efficient pipelines, handling high‑throughput data, version control and reproducible research.
Experience linking read‑level evidence to community ecology metrics, population genomics and species distribution models for past ecosystem reconstruction.
PhD in bioinformatics, statistics, community ecology, computational ecology or a related field.
Excellent written and spoken English communication skills.
Strong collaboration skills and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
Desirable Experience and Skills
Proficiency in R, Python or other relevant programming languages.
Experience working in HPC environments.
Strong scientific track record with peer‑reviewed publications, ideally as first author in community or molecular ecology, ecological modelling or ancient DNA.
Location The position is located at the Globe Institute, Section for GeoGenetics, Øster Voldgade 5‑7, 1350 Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Terms of Employment
Average weekly hours: 37.
Fixed‑term contract for two years, starting 1 March 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Monthly salary starting at 38,733 DKK (≈ 5,100 EUR, April 2025 level) with possible supplement based on qualifications.
Pension contribution of 18.07 % paid by the employer.
Eligible tax reductions for foreign and Danish applicants who have not lived in Denmark for the last ten years.
Covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.
Application Procedure Submit your application in English via the online portal. Include all documents in PDF format:
Motivation/cover letter (max. one page).
Curriculum vitae (education, work/research experience, language and other relevant skills).
Certified copies of PhD and MS certificates; if the PhD is not yet completed, a written statement from the supervisor.
List of publications.
Deadline: 4 January 2026, 23:59 CET. Applications received after the deadline or lacking required documents will not be considered.
Contact For further information please contact Mikkel Winther Pedersen, mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk.
Equal Opportunity The University of Copenhagen values diversity and inclusivity. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. The University encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities and experiences.
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Our research AEGIS is a pioneering research centre headed by Prof. Eske Willerslev, bringing together world‑leading interdisciplinary teams to develop sustainable, biodiverse agricultural practices. The centre combines ancient environmental DNA, genomics, metagenomics, informatics, biostatistics, evolutionary biology, ecology, geology, archaeology, plant engineering and agricultural crop research. The group leverages aeDNA to reconstruct past ecosystems and innovate computational methods for analysing ancient DNA data.
Your job As a postdoctoral researcher you will sit at the intersection of community ecology and population genomics, working with large‑scale ancient environmental DNA data. You will:
Apply computational and statistical approaches to reconstruct past communities, quantify species interactions, and test ecosystem responses to environmental change.
Integrate population‑genomic analyses to infer evolutionary dynamics, demography, gene flow and adaptation.
Contribute to work packages on interglacial deposits and ancient desertification, using these archives as testbeds for your analyses.
Advance methods that connect population‑level processes with community assembly.
Qualifications Essential Experience and Skills
Demonstrated expertise in aeDNA analysis and metagenomic pipelines.
Strong command‑line skills and experience building efficient pipelines, handling high‑throughput data, version control and reproducible research.
Experience linking read‑level evidence to community ecology metrics, population genomics and species distribution models for past ecosystem reconstruction.
PhD in bioinformatics, statistics, community ecology, computational ecology or a related field.
Excellent written and spoken English communication skills.
Strong collaboration skills and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
Desirable Experience and Skills
Proficiency in R, Python or other relevant programming languages.
Experience working in HPC environments.
Strong scientific track record with peer‑reviewed publications, ideally as first author in community or molecular ecology, ecological modelling or ancient DNA.
Location The position is located at the Globe Institute, Section for GeoGenetics, Øster Voldgade 5‑7, 1350 Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Terms of Employment
Average weekly hours: 37.
Fixed‑term contract for two years, starting 1 March 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Monthly salary starting at 38,733 DKK (≈ 5,100 EUR, April 2025 level) with possible supplement based on qualifications.
Pension contribution of 18.07 % paid by the employer.
Eligible tax reductions for foreign and Danish applicants who have not lived in Denmark for the last ten years.
Covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2020.
Application Procedure Submit your application in English via the online portal. Include all documents in PDF format:
Motivation/cover letter (max. one page).
Curriculum vitae (education, work/research experience, language and other relevant skills).
Certified copies of PhD and MS certificates; if the PhD is not yet completed, a written statement from the supervisor.
List of publications.
Deadline: 4 January 2026, 23:59 CET. Applications received after the deadline or lacking required documents will not be considered.
Contact For further information please contact Mikkel Winther Pedersen, mwpedersen@sund.ku.dk.
Equal Opportunity The University of Copenhagen values diversity and inclusivity. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. The University encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities and experiences.
#J-18808-Ljbffr