A postdoctoral research position funded by India Alliance-DBT/Wellcome Trust is available in Dr. Imroze Khan’s Evolutionary Immunology research group (https://​myevoe​coim​munol​.com/), in the Department of Biological Sciences at Ashoka University. 

The lab is primarily interested in tracking the complex dynamics of evolving immune responses against pathogenic infections and disease, using diverse evolutionary ecological methods as well as genomics, and genetical and physiological manipulations. 

The postdoctoral researcher hired for this position will primarily combine experimental evolution of tractable insect models (e.g. fruit flies and beetles) with pathogenic infections to identify the genetic basis of rapidly-evolved population divergence in immunity, and associated physiological costs such as DNA damage and immunopathology. The postdoc will also have the opportunity to use various genetic methods such as CRISPR/​cas9 gene editing and RNA interference to test the phenotypic effect of candidate genes on the evolved host immune phenotypes and resistance mechanisms. 

The postdoc should be able to start in January 2021, but exact dates can be negotiated with the PI.

The position is available for up to two years, subject to annual review of performance.

Salary and benefits are commensurable to prior experience and in accordance with Department of Biotechnology, Government of India guidelines.

• A PhD in Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or a related field, with a strong interest in evolutionary aspects of host-pathogen interactions. 
• Must be able to work as an independent researcher. 
• Must be experienced in basic molecular analyses and handling next-generation sequence data. 

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 (1) CV, (2) a brief statement of research interests, with a note justifying how you see yourself fitting within our research group and (3) contact details of at least three referees (email and contact number) to Dr. Imroze Khan at imroze.​khan@​ashoka.​edu.​in.

(Only shortlisted candidates will be notified)