The Department of Ecology, Environment and Geoscience at Umeå University invites applications for a postdoctoral fellowship in conifer genomics, with a focus on climate adaptation and pathogen resistance. The fellowship is for two years, starting in August 2026 or by agreement. Application deadline is 20 June 2026.
Project description Climate change is expected to have a strong impact on the boreal forest ecosystem, both directly through extreme weather events and indirectly through changes in species composition and increasing pressure from pests and pathogens. The postdoc’s tasks will be a fundamental part of a larger project investigating long-term observations of fungal pathogen infection in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) populations and progeny trials.
The aim of the project is to understand the genetic basis of resistance and to model population responses under different climate scenarios. A comprehensive database of genotyped trees and corresponding phenotypic measurements will be explored to develop tools that improve the efficiency of resistance breeding in Scots pine. The project is a collaboration between Umeå University and the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden (Skogforsk).
The project will involve a lot of bioinformatics with a focus on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on both SNP data and structural genomic variation to understand the genetic basis of pathogen resistance as well as variation in other quantitative traits. Activities will also include development and evaluation of GWAS models and publication of research results in scientific journals. The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to develop their own research interests and network, as well as contribute to other ongoing projects in the research group.
This fellowship is supported by Kempe foundation and provides 360,000 SEK per year, fully tax-free for two years.
Qualifications To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.
Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.
For this postdoctoral fellowship, candidates must hold a PhD in genetics, genomics, computational biology, or a related field at the time of recruitment. Ideal candidates will have documented experience with large genome assembly and mapping, strong bioinformatics skills and experience using high-performance computing environments. Additional knowledge in population or quantitative genetics of forest trees, pan-genome analysis, and programming skills in R, Python or similar languages is highly desirable. The successful candidate should be highly motivated, uphold good communication skills in English and work ethics, and enjoy both independent focus and being part of a collaborative research team.
Application You apply through Umeå University´s recruitment system via the web page link. All documents should be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format. The application should contain the following materials, written in English (preferably) or Swedish:
Cover letter describing your research interests and motivation (max. 2 A4 pages).
CV detailing your education and previous research experience.
Publication list (submitted manuscripts can be included; specify your contribution to each work)
Verified copy of your PhD diploma and a summary of the thesis.
Names and contact details of three references who can be contacted by telephone or e-mail.
Application deadline is June 20th. For more information, contact Prof. Xiao-Ru Wang (xiao-ru.wang@umu.se).
