3-year Postdoctoral Research Scientist Position in Statistical Genomics/Genetic Epidemiology

Job description

The postdoctoral researcher will carry out genomic analyses examining genetic correlates of social behaviour from infancy onwards, approximating developmental change, and build directly on current work within the EAGLE consortium. The work aims to better understand the trajectories of mental health outcomes, including genetic links with neurodevelopmental conditions, and changes in brain-related phenotypes.

The project offers extensive opportunities to work with state-of-the-art quantitative methods in statistical genomics research. Relevant tools include e.g. metafor, lavaan, genomicSEM, GRM-SEM.

The successful applicant will work closely with Dr Beate St Pourcain as part of the Population Genetics of Human Communication group at the MPI for Psycholinguistics. The position provides excellent opportunities for international networking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and career development, including links to the Gene Amsterdam Network.

Requirements

The successful applicant will hold, or expect to obtain shortly, a PhD in Statistical Genomics, Genetic Epidemiology, Medical Statistics, Bioinformatics, or a related quantitative discipline involving the analysis of omics datasets. 

Essential qualifications include

• Familiarity with 'Omics' methods to analyse the genetic architecture of human phenotypes
• A strong computational background, with experience in one or more programming languages (e.g. R, Python, Perl, or shell scripting)

Desirable experience includes

• Structural equation modelling (e.g. lavaan)
• Meta-analysis methods (e.g. metafor)
• Familiarity with neuroimaging phenotypes
• Familiarity with the complex genetic architecture underlying conditions such as autism or ADHD
   

What we offer you

• A full-time position (39 hours per week) with a fixed term of 3 years. The proposed starting date is 1 December 2026 although the start date is negotiable.
• Salary according to the German TVöD (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst) in the salary group/level E13: depending on the experience of the applicant, between EUR 5.709,87 and EUR 7.025,87 gross per month, based on full time employment, excluding a 8% holiday bonus.  This equates to EUR 73,999.91 – EUR 91,055.27 per year, including holiday bonus.
• Access to state-of-the art research and training facilities
• 30 days annual leave (full-time employment) plus German and Dutch public holidays
• A nice team 

Application Procedure

To apply, please submit the following documents via this link on our recruitment portal:
(i)    a two-page statement of interest 
(ii)    a curriculum vitae
(iii)    a list of publications
(iv)    the names, email addresses and contact numbers of three referees

 
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis from 8 October 2026 until the position is filled.

For informal scientific enquiries, please get in touch with Beate St Pourcain (beate.stpourcain [at] mpi.nl). For general enquiries, please contact the secretariat at the Language & Genetics Department (E-mail: secretariat.genetics [at] mpi.nl).
 

The employer

About our institute

The Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics is a world-leading research institute devoted to interdisciplinary studies of the science of language and communication, including departments on genetics, psychology, development, neurobiology and multimodality of these fundamental human abilities.
We investigate how children and adults acquire their language(s), how speaking and listening happen in real time, how the brain processes language, how the human genome contributes to building a language-ready brain, how multiple modalities (as in speech, gesture and sign) shape language and its use in diverse languages and how language is related to cognition and culture, and shaped by evolution.
We are part of the Max Planck Society, an independent non-governmental association of German-funded research institutes dedicated to fundamental research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The Max Planck Society is an equal opportunities employer. We recognise the positive value of diversity and inclusion, promote equity and challenge discrimination. We aim to provide a working environment with room for differences, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. Therefore, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

Our institute is situated on the campus of the Radboud University and has close collaborative links with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Centre for Language Studies at Radboud University. We also work closely with other child development researchers as part of the Baby & Child Research Center.
Staff and students at the MPI have access to state-of-the art research and training facilities.

About the group

The population genetics of human communication group is led by Dr Beate St Pourcain and is embedded within the Language and Genetics Department. Research within the group focuses on (i) studying the genetic basis of social communication, language and interaction in population-based and clinical cohorts and (ii) developing statistical modelling approaches. 

At the Language and Genetics Department, we aim to uncover the DNA variations which ultimately affect different facets of our communicative abilities, not only in children with language-related disorders but also in the general population. In addition, we hope to trace the evolutionary history and worldwide diversity of key genes, which may shed new light on language origins.