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Research Fellow in Evolutionary Biology

Employer
UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Salary
Level A - $77,171 – $104,717p.a. plus 17% super
Closing date
30 Aug 2022

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Academic Discipline
Biological Sciences, Life sciences
Job Type
Academic Posts, Research Fellowships
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Hours
Full Time

Job Details

Location: Parkville
Role type: Full time; Fixed-term for 5 years
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Department/School: School of BioSciences
Salary: Level A - $77,171 – $104,717p.a. plus 17% super

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About the School of BioSciences

The School of BioSciences was formed in 2015 through the amalgamation of the School of Botany and the Departments of Genetics and Zoology, thus bringing together a critical mass of 160 Academic staff and 240 Research Higher Degree students undertaking world class teaching and research in the biological sciences. Academics within the School are aligned to four research clusters: Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Science; Genetics, Genomics and Development; Plant Science and Computational Biology. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations within the School and with external partners, the School is a major recipient of grant and contract funding.

The School is a major contributor to the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Biomedical Science and the Environmental Science programs, its teaching program reflecting the research interests within the School.

About the Role

The Research Fellow will be a member of the project team who will work on research that will provide new insight into how resistance evolves and is maintained in natural populations and may result in potential reduction in pesticide use with associated economic and biodiversity benefits.

This project aims to develop new approaches to mitigate resistance evolution by applying sexual selection theory to predict evolution of insecticide resistance in flies. A key assumption of current agriculture management strategies is that resistance carries fecundity or survival costs, but this is rarely demonstrated, especially in nature. Not all resistance mutations are novel; many represent pre-existing variants maintained by balancing selection, ie opposing effects in males and females, or by environmental fluctuations.This research will provide new insight into how resistance evolves and is maintained in natural populations and may result in potential reduction in pesticide use with associated economic and biodiversity benefits.

The School of BioSciences is located on the Parkville campus.

The project will involve:

  • Primer design of putative resistance alleles across Drosophila species
  • Determine the frequency of different resistance alleles in field caught D. melanogaster 
  • Quantification of tissue specific expression of orthologous resistance genes in male and female Drosophila 
  • Determine the impact of resistance allele expression on D. melanogaster  metabolism
  • Quantify the interaction between gut microbiota, endosymbionts, and resistance in D. melanogaster 
  • Undertake transgenic expression of orthologous resistance genes across Drosophila
  • Use CRISPR/Cas9 to establish resistance gene knockouts in flies

About You

You will be a suitably qualified postdoc, with demonstrated experience in fly transgenic techniques, experience in insect husbandry, especially of Drosophila flies, and experience in bioinformatic analysis. You will be able to demonstrate an aptitude for independent research, and a track-record of sound publication in relevant areas, commensurate with experience and opportunities. You will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work co-operatively and positively in a multi-disciplinary research-based team environment and liaise with people from diverse backgrounds

You will also have:

  • Completion of a PhD in zoology, molecular or evolutionary biology or a related discipline
  • A broad range of skills in molecular biology
  • Demonstrated ability to prepare research reports and manuscripts for publication
  • Strong evidence of ability and desire to build an academic research career trajectory
  • Excellent interpersonal and both written and oral communication skills in English
  • Demonstrated excellent organisational skills to meet deadlines and bring projects to a timely completion
  • Demonstrated ability to develop, administer and see through to completion appropriately designed research projects with limited supervision

To ensure the University continues to provide a safe environment for everyone, this position requires the incumbent to hold a current and valid Working with Children Check.

About the University

The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement.

Benefits of Working with Us

In addition to having the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to be part of a vibrant campus life, our people enjoy a range of rewarding benefits:

  • Flexible working arrangements, generous personal, parental and cultural leave
  • Competitive remuneration, 17% super, salary packaging and leave loading
  • Free and subsidised health and wellbeing services, and access to fitness and cultural clubs
  • Discounts on a wide range of products and services including Myki cards and Qantas Club
  • Career development opportunities and 25% off graduate courses for staff and their immediate families

To find out more, visit https://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/staff-benefits.

Be Yourself

We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, females, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.

Join Us!

If you feel this role is right for you, please submit your application including a brief cover letter, your resume and your responses against the selection criteria^ (found in the Position Description) for the role.

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments with the recruitment process, please contact  us at hr-talent@unimelb.edu.au.

Position Description: 0056548_ResearchFellowinEvolutionaryBiology_Pd.pdf

Applications close: 30th August 2022 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time

Company

The University of Melbourne enjoys an outstanding reputation with world rankings consistently placing us as Australia’s leading comprehensive research-intensive university, and one of the world’s top 50*.

Melbourne attracts the best and brightest students and researchers and, with a history of over 160 years, we occupy a special place at the heart of our city’s cultural scene.

Melbourne is a leading research university, widely renowned for its teaching and the social and economic contributions it makes through knowledge transfer. The University’s performance in international rankings puts it at the forefront of higher education in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Internationally, the University is consistently ranked among the leading universities in the world, with its international peers placing it in the top 20 worldwide, and employers placing it in the top 10. In the recent Times Higher Education rankings of the world’s top 200 universities, Melbourne ranked top in Australia and 33 in the world.

Melbourne’s international research pre-eminence was also acknowledged with a top 100 ranking in the Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings. Ranked No. 44 in 2015, the University has climbed steadily in the rankings since first appearing at No. 92 in 2003.

The Melbourne Model introduces undergraduate programs characterised by both breadth and depth, followed by a graduate professional degree, a research higher degree or entry directly into employment.

In 2008 Melbourne commenced offering six New Generation undergraduate degrees in Arts, Biomedicine, Commerce, Environments, Music and Science. The Melbourne Model also introduces a new graduate school experience to Australia, providing the best and brightest with a more focused, intense and professionally relevant degree in areas such as Law, Architecture, Teaching and Nursing. With the Melbourne curriculum now aligning the University with the world’s top universities in Europe, North America and Asia, we enable our students to develop the skills and attributes required by employers all over the world.

More than 50,000 students from over 120 countries take courses in the University’s 12 faculties and graduate schools.

For more information please visit: http://www.unimelb.edu.au

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015 – 2016 and Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015

Company info
Telephone
+61 (3) 8344 4000
Location

Parkville
Melbourne
Victoria
VIC 3010
Australia

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