Vacature

PhD position: quantitative genetics of behavioral traits in pigs and chickens

article_published_on_label
1 april 2025
Locatie Wageningen
Einddatum ma 21 april 2025
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Your job

The Animal Breeding and Genomics group at Wageningen University & Research is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated PhD candidate to study the genetics and genomics of animal welfare traits. The candidate will use genetic and genomic analyses to further our understanding of the genetic basis of behavior, ultimately supporting the development of more sustainable and welfare-friendly breeding programs. The PhD candidate will be employed as part of a project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) under the Open Technology Programme, titled: “Found In Translation (FIT): Across-species Genomics for Improving Animal Welfare”

The project will leverage large-scale datasets from pigs and poultry to uncover the genetic basis of behavior, integrating phenotypic and genomic data using advanced genetic analyses.
 
The FIT project will re-use data from two ongoing projects, IMAGEN and HenTrack, which provide detailed behavioral data of pigs and laying hens. The PhD candidate will focus on identifying genetic variants associated with behavioral traits and developing methodologies to prioritize these variants in genomic prediction models, ultimately contributing to the improvement of breeding strategies that enhance animal welfare. The candidate will closely collaborate with another PhD student within the FIT project.
 
Specifically, the candidate will be involved in:
  •  Processing data from high-throughput phenotyping technologies to extract behavioral phenotypes;
  • Applying statistical and computational methods (e.g. GWAS) to identify and validate genomics regions and candidate variants influencing welfare-related behavior traits in pigs and poultry;
  • Developing methods to prioritize genetic variants in genomic selection models to improve predictions of behavioral traits;
  • Implementing and refining computational workflows for processing and analyzing large-scale genotype and phenotype datasets, ensuring reproducibility and scalability of analyses;
 
Expected Impact and Applications
The results of this PhD project will contribute to a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of animal behavior and its implications for welfare-oriented breeding. By integrating behavioral phenotypes with genetic analysis, the research aims to identify key genetic factors that influence behavior in livestock, and to develop practical strategies to use this information in genomic prediction.
 
This work will provide valuable insights into how genetic selection can be optimized to enhance animal welfare. The findings will support breeding programs by improving the estimation of genetic merit for behavioral traits that are related to animal welfare. Additionally, applying computational tools for behavioral genomics will benefit the broader research community working on the genetic regulation of complex traits.

Supervisors:
- Dr Pascal Duenk
- Dr Martijn Derks

Your qualities

You have / You are :
  • a master’s degree in a relevant biological field (Quantitative Genetics, Statistical Genetics, Animal Breeding, or something related);
  • a strong background and interest in genetics, statistics, computational biology, or a related field;
  • experience with and strong interest in computer programming and data analysis (e.g. R, Python, Julia);
  • experience with or eager willingness to learn advanced genetic analysis, such as genome-wide association studies and genomic prediction;
  • effective interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken in English), including the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment;
  • strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
  • good organizational and time management skills;
  • capacity to handle setbacks and challenges, maintaining motivation and a positive outlook despite difficulties;
  • willingness to travel internationally, to attend conferences and visit other institutes.
     
For this position your command of the English language is expected to be at C1 level. Sometimes it is necessary to submit an internationally recognised Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language. More information can be found here.

We offer you

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

  • Partially paid parental leave;
  • working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
  • there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
  • a fixed December bonus of 8.3%;
  • excellent pension scheme.
In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901 ,- per month rising to € 3.707,-  in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

There are plenty of options for personal initiative in a learning environment, and we provide excellent training opportunities. We are offering a unique position in an international environment with a pleasant and open working atmosphere.

You are going to work at the greenest and most innovative campus in Holland, and at a university that has been chosen as the “Best University” in the Netherlands for the 20th consecutive time.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

Do you want more information?

For more information about the vacancy please contact Dr Pascal Duenk: pascal.duenk@wur.nl; or dr Martijn Derks: martijn.derks@wur.nlmartijn.derks@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, by email: noorien.abbas@wur.nl.

Do you want to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.

This vacancy will be listed up to and including  21st April 2025. We hope to schedule the first job interviews in the week of 28th of April 2025. The intended starting date for this position is 1st August, 2025.

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.

We are

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is “To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life”. Under the banner Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen University and the specialised research institutes of the Wageningen Research Foundation have joined forces in contributing to finding solutions to important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With its roughly 30 branches, 7,600 employees (6,700 fte) and 13,100 students and over 150,000 participants to WUR’s Life Long Learning, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain. The unique Wageningen approach lies in its integrated approach to issues and the collaboration between different disciplines.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR and watch the video below to get an idea of our green campus!


We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

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