The University of Bern, Switzerland, invites applications for a postdoc position to participate in a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant, REFINE) to model reproducibility of animal experiments depending on variations of experimental design.
3 year Postdoc Position - Computer simulation of reproducibility
Contact: Hanno Würbel hanno.wuerbel@vetsuisse.unibe.ch
Closes on 6th May 2015
Tasks
You will participate in a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant, REFINE) to study relationships between phenotypic plasticity and reproducibility of animal research using mice as model animals. You will develop computer simulations based on extensive data of real experiments to study how standardization and variation of genotype and environment affect test sensitivity and reproducibility of results.
The aim of your research is to explore trade-offs in experimental design between maximizing internal and external validity and reproducibility on the one hand, and minimizing sample size on the other hand. This is done in view of optimizing research strategies for establishing scientific evidence in basic and applied animal research.
The project team includes another postdoc and a PhD student who study environment-dependent plasticity of behaviour in mice to generate real data for simulation, and to test model predictions derived from your computer simulations. The team is part of a larger research group studying relationships between animal behaviour, animal welfare, and the validity of animal research.
Qualifications
• University degree and PhD in biology or biomedical sciences
• Expertise in computational biology or bioinformatics and applied statistics
• Very good knowledge of spoken and written English; German would be a plus
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Good communication and networking skills
We offer
• Attractive academic environment
• Opportunity to develop academic career
• 3 year contract
• Competitive salary
Starting date
• negotiable (preferably July 1st, 2015)
Application
Send your letter of interest together with a full CV, your publication list and the names and contact details of 2-3 reference persons electronically to: hanno.wuerbel@vetsuisse.unibe.ch (Deadline: May 6th, 2015)
Further Information
Prof. Dr. Hanno Würbel, Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland www.tierschutz.vetsuisse.unibe.ch Phone: +41 (0)31 631 25 30