UCL-funded PhD studentship opportunity with Prof Ziheng Yang in Computational Biology and Comparative Genomics - Development of statistical methods for genomic comparisons of closely related species.

Advances in sequencing technologies are generating vast amounts of genomic sequence data, so that both phylogenetic inference of species relationships and population genetic analysis have entered the genomic era. In particular, genomic sequence data from closely related species provide new opportunities for addressing a number of exciting questions in evolutionary biology and biodiversity, such as divergence times of species, population sizes of modern and extinct species, and the process of speciation. However DNA sequence evolution is highly stochastic, influenced by forces such as genetic drift and migration. Analysis and interpretation of the genomic data thus calls for sophisticated statistical inference tools and efficient computational algorithms.

In this project the student will develop and extend existing statistical methods (maximum likelihood or Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo) so as to infer population processes from genomic sequence data, implement such algorithms in computer software and use them to conduct analysis of genomic datasets. The project offers training in bioinformatics skills needed to handle large genetic datasets, as well as in quantitative skills of probabilistic modelling and statistical computation. Ideally the student should have a background in probability and statistics, computer science or bioinformatics with a keen interest in analysis of genetic data. Students with a background in evolution/genomics/genetics who are interested in developing their quantitative skills are also encouraged to apply.

The project will be supervised jointly by Professor Ziheng Yang FRS (Dept. of GEE, UCL) and Dr Hilde Wilkinson-Herbots (Dept. of Statistics, UCL). Relevant references: Yang & Rannala, 2010, PNAS 107: 9264-9269; Wilkinson-Herbots, 2008, Theor. Popul. Biol. 73: 277-288.

Project is funded for 3 years. Applicants need to satisfy UK/EU eligibility requirements and have an undergraduate degree (minimum 2.1 Hons). Current annual studentship stipend is £15,590 per annum. Applications to Prof Yang by email ([Email Address Removed]) including a CV and names, contact details and email addresses of two academic referees, by 30/03/12.