Postdoc fellowship in Phenotypic Plasticity & Selection Analysis (100%)
Date: Aug 19, 2026
Location: Dep. of Environmental Sciences | Research Group Physiological Plant Ecology | Schönbeinstrasse 6 | 4056 Basel | Switzerland, CH
Company: Universität Basel
1 November 2026 or negotiable
The group of Plant Ecology and Evolution at the University of Basel, Switzerland (https://duw.unibas.ch/en/ecoevo/), is looking for a postdoc to lead the analyses and publishing of data collected in a context of plant responses to heat and drought and limits to selection.
Topics of research
You will work on projects investigating plastic responses to climatic challenges and the evolutionary constraints that limit adaptation to extreme climatic conditions. We address these questions using populations and species sampled along elevational gradients, providing a powerful framework for identifying the causes of species’ range limits and understanding constraints on the evolution of thermal niches.
One available dataset comes from a heat–drought experiment, which enables detailed investigation of the shape of plastic responses along continuous environmental gradients, as well as interactions between climatic factors. A second dataset focuses on the same species and allows you to estimate multivariate selection and predict selection responses across elevational gradients. Together, these datasets offer opportunities to connect environmental variation, phenotypic plasticity, selection, and evolutionary responses across climatic gradients.
Your profile
The fellowship is for applicants who have done a PhD or at least one postdoc in Quantitative Genetics, Phenotypic Plasticity, and/or the Estimation of Selection.
We offer you
The initial appointment is for one year. The University of Basel has generous resources for genomic analysis (scientific high- performance computing, data management, training and support). Furthermore, our Department of Environmental Sciences offers a stimulating environment, including a rich spectrum of research activities in life sciences (ecological genomics, population genomics, evolutionary biology, plant ecology, physiology and molecular and cell biology). Finally, Basel is a mid-sized Swiss city, well connected and offering a broad range of cultural and recreational activities.
Application / Contact
Motivated applicants should submit (1) a one-page letter that summarizes interests and relevant experience, (2) their CV, (3) copies of PhD and other relevant diploma transcripts, and (4) contact information of two references. We accept only online applications. Applications are welcome until the position is filled and will be reviewed starting September 15, 2026. For more information, contact Yvonne Willi (yvonne.willi@unibas.ch)