[Coral-List] Marine (Coral reefs) Genomics Research Associate Job Offer

Sat May 6 23:24:58 UTC 2023

Marine Genomics Research Associate Job Offer

Job Title: Research Associate or Postdoctoral
Location: Qatar University, Doha, QATAR
Department Name: Biological and Environmental Sciences
College/Department Profile:  College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Qatar

Background and Role:
Qatar University is seeking a highly motivated candidate with a background in Molecular Ecology, Population Genetics and Marine Biology with emphasis on Fish and/or Coral communities. The position is for a Research Associate or Postdoctoral Researcher (commensurate to previous experience and expertise), funded by a 3-year project (QNRF-NPRP and TotalEnergies), dealing with connectivity, diversity and genetic flow in coral and artificial reefs. The candidate is also expected to collaborate with the other members of the research team in developing these lines of research in the framework of related projects and supporting (under)graduate students. The position will involve maintaining several national and international collaborations (e.g. University of Copenhagen, California State University, the National Biotechnology Centre and other industrial and governmental stakeholders).
The Marine Restoration and Conservation Research Group (MARESCO) recently started carrying out genomic projects in the Persian/Arabian Gulf focusing on both model and non-model species, such as corals, bony fishes and whale sharks. The Gulf is unique marine environment, where summer sea temperatures is often >34 °C, though it remains relatively unstudied.

Qatar University Profile:

Qatar University is the national institution of higher education in Qatar. It provides high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare competent graduates, destined to shape the future of Qatar. The university community has diverse and multicultural committed faculty that teaches and conduct research, which addresses relevant local and regional challenges, advances knowledge, and contributes actively to the needs and aspirations of society. Qatar University is a leading research institution in the Middle East (QS World University Rankings 2023: #208), with 18 interdisciplinary research centers, over 133 research collaborations with leading institutions across the world.

Duties & Responsibilities
The candidate will be mainly responsible for the following duties:

1.     DNA extraction from corals and other marine habitats associated fauna for Genotyping by sequencing (GBS)

2.     Connectivity: Combine Isolation-by-Distance and effective density to estimate dispersal scales in both coral and bony fish.

3.     Whale shark population structure: Every summer Qatari waters receive the world's largest whale shark aggregation to feed on tuna eggs. We want to use high throughput sequencing to investigate the population structure of both whale sharks and tunas.

And collaborate in the following tasks:

1.     Planning and participation in field survey of coral and artificial reefs habitats

2.     Collection and processing of samples for environmental DNA (eDNA)

3.     Collaborating with external and international partners for the execution of collaborative research tasks

4.     Contribute to project management activities, such as progress reports.

5.     Participate in the publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals

6.     Support students' supervision inserted in the MARESCO group

Qualification & Experience Requirements

1.     MSc or PhD (desirable) in Molecular ecology, marine biology or related field from a recognized University.

2.     Extraction, purification and amplification of DNA from marine organisms and preparation of DNA samples for sequencing and genotyping

3.     Background in population genetic data analysis

4.     Phylogenetic and genetic diversity analyses

5.     Bioinformatics pipelines and downstream genomics analyses of RAD sequencing (Experience in analyzing RAD-seq data using command line programs)

6.     Genomics analyses include F-statistic, Admixture, Principal component analysis - PCA and Isolation by Distance - IBD

7.     A strong record of relevant research experience backed by relevant research publications

8.     Fluent in English

9.     Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.

Optional:

10.  Scientific diving (highly valuated)

Previous research experience in coral and/or fishes genomics are desirable.

Salary and Benefits

1.     A one-year renewable contract (up to 3 years).

2.     Highly competitive and Tax-free salary.

3.     Housing, transport and children education allowances in accordance with QU HR policies.

4.     Annual round trip air tickets, in accordance with QU HR policies (for candidate, spouse and children).

5.     Private health care and health insurance in accordance with QU HR policies (for candidate, spouse and children).

6.     Annual leave of 35 days.

Documents required to Apply
Interested candidates should submit by email to Dr. Radhouane Ben Hamadou (benhamadou at qu.edu.qa<mailto:benhamadou at qu.edu.qa>):

(i)               Short cover letter addressing the requirements

(ii)              Detailed updated Curriculum Vitae that include list of publications with research experience

(iii)            Contacts of minimum two references (previous supervisor or employer)

The submission is open until 15th of June 2023. The review of applications will begin immediately (early submissions are encouraged) and continue until a suitable candidate is identified. The start date is ASAP, negotiable, but will be no later than September 1, 2023.

For queries: Dr. Radhouane Ben-Hamadou (benhamadou at qu.edu.qa<mailto:benhamadou at qu.edu.qa>); Dr. Pedro Range (prange at qu.edu.qa<mailto:prange at qu.edu.qa>) or Dr. Felipe Torquato (felipe.torquato at qu.edu.qa<mailto:felipe.torquato at qu.edu.qa>)

Radhouan Ben-Hamadou, (Eng., Ph. D.)
Associate Professor - Marine Sciences
Dept. Biological and Environmental Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
Qatar University
2713 Doha - Qatar BCR-B108
00974-4403-6454  00974-4403-4531
http://www.qu.edu.qa/artssciences/