PhD position in theory of fitness landscapes
A fully funded 4-year PhD position, supervised by Dr. Suman Das and Prof. Dr. Claudia Bank, is available in the Division of Theoretical Ecology and Evolution (https://banklab.github.io/) at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The position is part of the SNSF project “Navigability of rugged fitness landscapes: determinants, consequences, and evolutionary feedback”, in which we study adaptation from a fitness-landscape point of view. See this paper from the lab for an introduction to the general topic.
The PhD project is theoretical in nature and will involve mathematical modelling, computer simulations, and/or data analysis. The project should address some of the following questions:
• Navigating Fitness Landscapes: How do interactions between the effects of mutations at different genetic loci shape the adaptive paths in a fitness landscape? Which features of a complex fitness landscape facilitate the movement of a population toward better-adapted genotypes?
• Stochastic Evolutionary Forces: What are the roles of random processes such as stochastic tunnelling and drift in the traversal of fitness landscapes? How do stochastic effects interact with selection to influence evolutionary trajectories?
• Evolution of Landscape Structure: How does the structure of a fitness landscape itself evolve (e.g., via changes in genome size) over long timescales? What are the consequences of landscape evolution for adaptation, robustness, and evolvability?
• Navigating Fitness Landscapes: How do interactions between the effects of mutations at different genetic loci shape the adaptive paths in a fitness landscape? Which features of a complex fitness landscape facilitate the movement of a population toward better-adapted genotypes?
• Stochastic Evolutionary Forces: What are the roles of random processes such as stochastic tunnelling and drift in the traversal of fitness landscapes? How do stochastic effects interact with selection to influence evolutionary trajectories?
• Evolution of Landscape Structure: How does the structure of a fitness landscape itself evolve (e.g., via changes in genome size) over long timescales? What are the consequences of landscape evolution for adaptation, robustness, and evolvability?
Your profile
Candidates should be highly motivated, creative, and keen to work both independently and collaboratively. We welcome applications from diverse scientific backgrounds (e.g., from physics, mathematics, statistics, computer science, biology). We are particularly interested in candidates who are fascinated by evolutionary biology, have a strong background in mathematical modelling and enjoy programming. In their motivation letter, applicants from outside biology should explain why they are interested in studying evolution, and applicants from biology should describe why they wish to join a theoretical research group. Candidates must have good communication skills in English, which is the working language at our institute. A Master's degree is required, and the position is open to applicants worldwide. We are committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in ecology and evolution, and we especially encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups.
Work environment
The Division of Theoretical Ecology and Evolution is a dynamic, international, and interdisciplinary research group. Current and former group members include trained biologists, physicists, mathematicians, bioinformaticians, anthropologists, and biochemists. In the scope of the funded project, our collaborators are Prof. Dr. Joachim Krug (Uni Köln, Germany), Prof. Dr. Anne-Florence Bitbol (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland), and Dr. Stephan Peischl (Uni Bern). As supporters of the Better Science Initiative (https://betterscience.ch/en/), our lab philosophy includes open and compassionate communication, regular individual meetings and evaluation of mentoring and career development needs, and prioritization of the well-being of all lab members. Our group is part of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Bern (https://www.iee.unibe.ch/); we are also members of the Bern Data Science Initiative (https://www.bedsi.unibe.ch/) and the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (https://www.sib.swiss/). Through these structures, the PhD student will have ample opportunities for interactions and collaborations across research fields and with a vibrant international community of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and professors. The University of Bern is situated near the heart of the beautiful old city, and the quality of life in Bern is very high, with the Swiss alps in close vicinity.
The starting date of the PhD position is negotiable (ideally in spring 2026). The starting salary is 50,000 CHF and includes social security contributions.
The starting date of the PhD position is negotiable (ideally in spring 2026). The starting salary is 50,000 CHF and includes social security contributions.
Contact and Application
Please submit your application via the application portal (red button below) by 9 January 2026. Please reach out to Dr. Suman Das (suman.das@unibe.ch) in case of questions. Applicants must submit one merged PDF application file that includes a letter of motivation mentioning the desired starting date (<500 words), a CV, names and contact details of two referees, and copies of relevant publications and/or the Master thesis.
