Postdoctoral position: Quantitative evolutionary genetics of experimental evolution in plants
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
A postdoctoral position in plant evolutionary biology is available in the research group of John Pannell in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne.
The position is initially for one year, with the possibility of extension for up to five years. 

The successful applicant will investigate the quantitative genetics and genomics of rapid evolutionary change in sex allocation, mating systems and sexual systems in the annual plant Mercurialis annua. The project builds on a unique long-term experimental-evolution study that has been running for approximately 15 years. The experiment exploits the remarkable diversity of sexual systems found within Mercurialis, in which closely related species and natural populations vary in the expression of combined versus separate sexes. In our experimental populations, removal of males from initially dioecious populations led to the rapid evolution of male function in females and the breakdown of dioecy. Continued experimental evolution has subsequently produced striking further changes in sex allocation, including the emergence and spread of a novel, strongly male-specialised phenotype. The advertised position offers an unusual opportunity to study evolutionary transitions  in real time. We have extensive phenotypic and genomic data documenting evolutionary change through the experiment, together with stored material from successive generations that permits direct comparisons between ancestral and evolved populations. Resources are available for further experimental work with evolved populations and for genomic, transcriptomic and quantitative-genetic analyses. The project is running in parallel to a more recently begun experimental study of responses to selection under different regimes of admixture at and beyond species range margins; there will be opportunities to contribute to this research too, depending on the interests, expertise and creativity of the successful candidate.

For details of current research in the laboratory and a list of publications, see https://www.unil.ch/dee/pannell-group.

Research scope and skills sought
We are looking for an evolutionary biologist with a strong interest in using genomic, transcriptomic, quantitative-genetic and phenotypic data to address fundamental questions in evolution. Candidates should have a strong conceptual foundation in evolutionary biology, population genetics and/or quantitative genetics, together with skills in bioinformatics and statistical analysis. Particularly relevant expertise would include the analysis of whole-genome sequence data, population-genomic data, transcriptomic or gene-expression data, quantitative phenotypic data, or some combination of these. Experience in experimental design and the analysis of complex evolutionary experiments would be valuable. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine technical strength with conceptual curiosity: the experimental system provides considerable freedom to formulate and test new evolutionary hypotheses, and we would expect the postdoc to play an important role in shaping the direction of the research.

The successful candidate should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, an ability to work collaboratively, and an enthusiasm for contributing to the intellectual life of a diverse research group

Host department and university
The Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne hosts a broad range of research groups, and its members enjoy a lively intellectual and social life. Although the University of Lausanne is francophone, the department is highly international, and all its research activity and seminars are conducted in English. The University has seven faculties and approximately 14,300 students and 3,900 researchers from over 120 countries. It is situated on a beautiful campus on the shore of Lake Geneva, and is close to the Swiss and French Alps.

Applications
Informal enquiries should be sent to John Pannell (john.pannell@unil.ch). Formal applications should be sent to John Pannell as a single pdf that should include: a cover letter detailing your research interests, experience and motivation for applying; your CV; and the names of two or three referees. In addition, you will also need to upload your application to the University of Lausanne recruitment platform following this link: https://tinyurl.com/56ny3nsf

All applications received by 30 September 2026 will receive full consideration.

University equality policy
The University of Lausanne promotes an equitable representation of men and women among its staff and encourages applications from women and minority groups.

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