*Post-doctoral fellowship in bioinformatics / biostatistics in Montpellier*
Applications are sought from outstanding researchers for a postdoctoral position bioinformatics and biostatistics in Samuel Alizon's group at the CNRS in Montpellier (France). *Context.* The fellow will be part of the European Research Council (ERC) EVOLPROOF project, which focuses on the ecology and evolution of human papillomaviruses (HPV). He/she will be in charge of analysing original viral, bacterial and human sequence data collected during the project. He/she is also expected to contribute to statistical analyses (e.g. fitting mathematical models to time series data, performing genome wide association studies, or analysing large datasets). * Data.* The EVOLPROOF project aims at assessing whether HPV will evolve in response to novel iatrogenic pressures. To address this question, a clinical study has begun at the University Hospital in Montpellier that follows young women longitudinally. Viral and bacterial DNA and RNA is being collected in order to study genetic variations over time using next generation sequencing tools. Human DNA is collected at inclusion in order to control for host genetic effects. In addition to this genetic data, virological and immunological (cytokine densities, antibody titers) data is also being collected. *Team.* Samuel Alizon's group is currently composed of a post-doctoral fellow in ecological modelling (Carmen Lía Murall) and two engineers (Massilva Rahmoun and Jean Ngou) working on the ERC project, and two PhD students (Mircea Sofonea and Emma Saulnier). Several collaborations are already active for instance with Giuseppe d'Auria (sequencing, Valencia), Ignacio Bravo (HPV evolution, CNRS Montpellier), Jacques Ravel (vaginal microbiota, University of Maryland), Jérémie Guedj (within-host kinetics, INSERM Paris) or Olivier Gascuel (computational biology, CNRS Montpellier/Pasteur Institute Paris). For more information on the research group, see http://alizon.ouvaton.org/ *Profile.* PhD in computational biology, biostatistics or a related field. Experience in handling and analysing next-generation sequence data is paramount. Experience in evolutionary biology, microbiology and/or biostatistics tools is an asset. Excellent English skills and the ability to work collectively are essential. *Salary.* The position will last at least for 2 years and can be extended to 3 years. The net salary will range from 2000€ to 3000€ per month (including social security) depending on experience based on the CNRS pay scale. *Timing.* The anticipated starting date is Sept 1st (but a later start is possible). *Application.* The deadline is set to March 15. To apply, send within a single PDF a current CV, a short statement of research interests, and the name of at least two researchers who can be contacted for reference to samuel.ali...@cnrs.fr *Location.* A one thousand year old city, Montpellier is a thriving research community with a multitude of ecology, evolution and biomedical research centers. It is the fastest growing city in France and very international with many foreign researchers and students. The historical center offers one of the largest pedestrian areas in Europe. The northern surroundings are peppered with vineyards, hills, rivers, and cliffs, while the Mediterranean sea is within a bike ride to the south. High-speed train connects the city to Paris (3.5 hours), Lyon (2h), Toulouse (2h15) or Barcelona (3h). The MIVEGEC department (http://www.mivegec.ird.fr/en/) hosts approx. 50 researchers and is one of the leading departments in Europe on the ecology and evolution of infection diseases. It is also affiliated to Montpellier's Computational Biology Institute ( http://www.ibc-montpellier.fr/).
