The Evolutionary Immunology laboratory (https://​evoe​coim​munol​.word​press​.com/) at Ashoka University has multiple fully-funded open positions for PhD students, Project Assistants and postdoctoral research scientists with interests and skillsets in molecular biology, bioinformatics and evolutionary biology. Our current research aims to identify the genomic bases and molecular processes that govern the outcome of host-pathogen interactions, the evolution of pathogen resistance strategies and immunity against chronic infections, using insect models such as fruit flies and flour beetles. They also analyses the importance of specific environmental variations such as malnutrition or climate warming that are known to increase infection prevalence and vulnerability by impairing the host’s health, thereby playing instrumental roles in shaping how host and pathogens interact and influence each other.

The PhD students/​Project assistants/​postdoctoral researchers can participate in any of several ongoing projects in the broader areas of host-pathogen interactions and the development and evolution of the immune system against pathogens. They will have the opportunity to develop and apply cutting-edge molecular and bioinformatics tools, generate and analyse various NGS data (e.g., genome, transcriptome & metagenome), field-based experimentation, design experimental evolution, population dynamics or experimental ecology projects, and apply advanced statistical methods to existing datasets in the lab. The ideal candidates should be equally enthusiastic about evolutionary as well as molecular aspects of host-pathogen interactions, disease and immunity.

• PhD positions will be for 5 years
• Project Assistant/​Postdoc position is available for up to 3 years, subject to an annual review of performance.

Salary and benefits will be in accordance with the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India guidelines.

Applications to the PhD program/​Project assistant position are invited from candidates with

• A master’s degree in any basic science discipline, including biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics; or BTech/​MBBS MTech/​MPharm in applied sciences such as medicine and engineering
• For PhD students, Qualifications in a national entrance examination such as JGEEBILS/ BINC/ INSPIRE/CSIR-UGC/ ICMR/ GATE/JEST/ DST are highly desired. The scores obtained must be valid at the time of application.

Applications to the PostDoc position are invited from candidates with

• PhD in Evolutionary Biology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or a related field, with a strong interest in evolutionary aspects of host-pathogen interactions. 
• Must be experienced in basic molecular analyses and handling next-generation sequence data.

For PhD students

Applications can ONLY be made through the Ashoka biology PhD program. Applicants should also complete an online application form. There is NO application fee.

For Project assistants/​Postdocs

Selection will be conducted in two stages where applications will first go through an initial screening, followed by an online interview by a panel of scientists at Ashoka University. The decision of the interview panel regarding the suitability of the candidate will be final. We will not encourage any further correspondence in this regard.

To apply, please send your 

• CV
• a brief statement of research interests, with a note justifying how you see yourself fitting within our research group 
• contact details of at least three referees (email and contact number) to Dr Imroze Khan at imroze.​khan@​ashoka.​edu.​in before 31^st May, 2023.

For more details click here