********************GradStudentPositions******************** PHD POSITION: GENETIC DIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICAN PROTEAS The Plant Evolutionary Ecology group at the University of Tuebingen in Germany is offering a PhD position to work on genetic diversity of Protea (sugarbush) species, and its biological and environmental drivers, in the South African fynbos biome. Proteas are key species in one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots, and they are exceptionally beautiful. We plan to use a combination of molecular tools, quantitative genetics, and population genetic modelling, to understand genetic diversity in DNA sequence and phenotype. The project will be embedded in the new Cluster of Excellence TERRA "Terrestrial Geo-Biosphere Interactions in a Changing World" (www.terra-cluster.org), a large interdisciplinary research initiative linking the Universities of Tuebingen and Hohenheim with the Senckenberg Society in Frankfurt. Specifically, the project will be part of a team of four complementary PhD students working on biosphere-geosphere interactions and ecoevolutionary processes in proteas. There will be a close collaboration with the Leigh lab (https://deborahmleigh.weebly.com/) at Senckenberg, where the student will have a longer research stay. The PhD project will include field work in South Africa, and it will be supported by the TERRA Molecular Biodiversity Lab, and the TERRA Graduate School of Terrestrial Geo-Biosphere Interactions. Candidates interested in this position should hold an MSc with a background in evolutionary biology or populations genetics/genomics, and have a strong interest in studying genetic biodiversity. Previous experience with molecular lab work is a must, additional skills in bioinformatics and/or statistics are a plus. We are looking for a team player with good communication skills in English. Additional German language skills are welcome. The position is funded for 3.5 years and will be paid at E13 TV-L 65% (usual level for PhD contracts in Germany). The place of work will be Tuebingen. If you have more questions about the project or position, please write to Oliver Bossdorf (oliver.bossdorf@uni-tuebingen.de). The University of Tuebingen is committed to equity and diversity and actively promotes equal opportunities. Equally qualified candidates with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process. To apply for this position, please send a letter of motivation and CV, together with contact details of two references and your certificates as a single pdf ( <10 MB) to bewerbung@geo.uni-tuebingen.de with the subject "Application: Your Name [FUN01_1]". The deadline for applications is January 26, 2026, or until the position is filled. Prof. Dr. Oliver Bossdorf University of Tuebingen Plant Evolutionary Ecology oliver.bossdorf@uni-tuebingen.de GROUP: www.uni-tuebingen.de/plantevoeco HERBARIUM: www.uni-tuebingen.de/herbarium PUBLICATIONS: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hAPepaEAAAAJ "Bossdorf, Oliver" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************GradStudentPositions******************** "Towering behavior and collective dispersal in nematode groups, PhD student (m/f/d), 100%: The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior at its sites in Konstanz and Radolfzell offers an international, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environment that opens up unique research opportunities. The goal of our basic research is to develop a quantitative and predictive understanding of the decisions and movements of animals in their natural environment. The Genes and Behavior Research Group at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior would like to fill the following position with a starting date as soon as possible. This position is fully funded for a period of 3 years with the possibility of a 1-year extension. The workplace will be in Konstanz, Germany. Our group The student will join the Genes and Behavior research group led by Dr. Serena Ding. The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz together form a thriving research community representing a global hotspot for collective behavior, including the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior. The student will join the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behavior, Ecology and Evolution from lab to field (IMPRS-QBEE), a cooperative doctoral program between the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz. Project details How animals choose between individual versus collective behavioral strategies, how they execute the behavior from a mechanistic point of view, and how they navigate the cooperative versus competitive social dynamics when behaving together in a group are central questions to this PhD project. Nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth; many nematode species live a boom-bust lifestyle and disperse frequently. These tiny little worms often hitchhike on passing vectors to move great distances in search of new resources. Nematodes can disperse individually; we recently found that Caenorhabditis nematodes can also build worm towers to disperse collectively (Perez et al., Current Biology 2025). Moreover, we identified natural dispersal vectors for our local nematode species in southwestern Germany (Greenway et al., bioRxiv 2025). Together, these work pave way for combining the empirical tractability of our study system, including the model organism species C. elegans, with the relevant ecological context to investigate why and how nematodes behave collectively. Research will involve designing, executing, and analysing experiments to address one or more of the questions we ask above. The student may also propose their own questions in addition. The student will develop their own research approach with the support and guidance from our international team of collaborators specialising in behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, quantitative behavior, computer vision, and physics of behavior. We envision this project to primarily involve laboratory-based investigations, although the student will have the opportunity to join field work to gain insights into the study system. Your qualifications Essential requirements: - MSc in biology, animal behavior, collective behavior, or a related field - Fundamental interest in biological phenomena and questions - Experimental and analytical capability, critical thinking, literature awareness - Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. German language skills are not required Desirable experience: - Hypothesis-driven experimental design and implementation in animal behavior - Quantitative data analysis skills; proficiency in one or more programming languages (R, Matlab, Python) - Video-based approach to behavioral analysis is beneficial - Competence with C. elegans and/or fluorescence imaging techniques is beneficial but not necessary Our offer The successful candidate will become part of the International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behavior, Ecology & Evolution (IMPRS-QBEE). You will therefore work in a dynamic and highly international research environment. Our working language is English. The payment for the position is made in accordance with your experience and qualification of the collective agreement for the public service (TV�D-Bund). The Max Planck Society endeavors to employ more severely disabled people. Applications of severely disabled persons are expressly welcome. The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. How to apply Are you interested? Then we are looking forward to receiving your application until January 13, 2026 via the IMPRS application system: https://imprs-qbee.cloud.opencampus.net/. To be considered for this position, applicants must include a CV and a research statement that addresses the following points: 1. Describe your main research interests, how they developed, and how they relate to the proposed research project. (1 page) 2. Describe how you would approach 1-2 of the research questions for this project. List your hypotheses, describe the experiments and analyses you would perform to address them, and include a mock figure of what your results might look like (1-2 pages) Further information can be found at https://www.serenadinglab.com/. Questions about this position should be addressed to Dr. Serena Ding, serena.ding@ab.mpg.de Here is the plain text version for position two: "PhD position in the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) project The Ecology lab of Mark van Kleunen (https://www.biologie.uni-konstanz.de/kleunen/) in the Department of Biology at the University of Konstanz, Germany, is seeking a highly motivated student to do her/his PhD in a DFG-FWF-funded project on the analysis of the Global Naturalized Alien Flora (GloNAF) database. This project is part of a large international collaboration, and has already resulted in many high-profile publications (https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=9Kh44UMAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&authuser=5&sortby=pubdate). One of the tasks of the PhD student will be to contribute to the maintenance and expansion of the database, but the main task will be to use the database to answer major macro-ecological questions in invasion ecology. The successful candidate should have a keen interest in plant invasions, be able to handle large complex databases in R, and have good writing skills. The position will be funded for three years, and the salary will be at scale 65% E13. The starting date is 1 March 2026, but an earlier or later starting date is negotiable. The University of Konstanz is located just outside the beautiful city of Konstanz, which is at the shore of Lake Constance in Germany (at the border with Switzerland). The Ecology group is very international, and works on a wide range of topics, including among others plant responses to global change and determinants of plant invasions. If you are interested in this position, send a single PDF with the following contents to mark.vankleunen@uni-konstanz.de: . a motivation letter (Why do you want to do a PhD? Why this one? Why in this group?) . your CV . the contact details of two references . a writing sample (for example, a publication that you wrote or your Master thesis) Merge all these documents into a single PDF and include your name in the file name (for example: Swift_Robin.pdf). The application deadline is 7 January 2026. For more information, contact mark.vankleunen@uni-konstanz.de. Best, Lena "MPIAB, IMPRS" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************GradStudentPositions******************** PhD position within the project "FormiDablE - Function, Diversity and Evolution of formicine ant venom peptides" The position is fixed term (65% according to TV-L 13, for 36 months) and starting on the 01.06.2026 (or as soon as possible). Project description: Venomous animals and the venoms they wield are a remarkable example of repeated evolution. In prelim-inary work, we have discovered so far unknown venom peptides in the highly acidic, formic acid containing venoms of non-stinging ants of the subfamily Formicidae (genus Camponotus). Aim of this project is to as-sess the diversity of these peptides in additional Formica and Lasius ant species, to manually annotate these peptides in genomes, to investigate the evolution of these peptides, and to investigate their potential biological function. To achieve this aim, in this interdisciplinary project within the Priority Program "GEvol: Genomic Basis of Evolutionary Innovations", we combine organismic (Simon Tragust,), comparative ge-nomic and transcriptomic (Barbara Feldmeyer) as well as analytical chemistry (Timo Niedermeyer) know-how and methods. We require: We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with an inquisitive, solution-oriented and frustration-tolerant mind that has excellent organisational skills to independently plan and conduct as well as analyse chemical, genomic and transcriptomic work. The following qualifications are required: - Applicants must hold a Scientific University degree (MSc/Diploma) in biology, biochemistry or related fields - Prior knowledge and/or experience with techniques and analyses involved in either proteomics, tran-scriptomics and/or genomics of insects (DNA/RNA extraction and analysis, next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, HPLC) - Driver's license and/or experience with insect maintenance and dissection is a plus - Fluency in English (lab working language) with good communication and social skills We offer: - A friendly and inspiring working atmosphere in a young research group (for more information check out: https://www.zoologie.uni-halle.de/allgemeine_zoologie/staff/tragust/). The prospective PhD will be hosted in the lab of Simon Tragust (Halle) and will work in close collaboration with Barbara Feldmeyer (Frankfurt, https://www.senckenberg.de/en/research/institutes-overview/sbikf-institut/sbikf-ag-molecular-ecology/) and Timo Niedermeyer (Berlin, https://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/pharmazie/faecher/pharmazeutische_biologie/team/professoren/niedermeyer/index.html) - The group is embedded in the Department General Zoology sporting excellent, state of the art research facilities in the delightful, historic city of Halle with good and affordable living conditions and good con-nections to e.g. Berlin (~1h by train), Leipzig-Halle airport (~15min by train) or Frankfurt (~3h by train) - A project that will help to develop and foster the applicant's academic profile combining diverse tech-niques in an interdisciplinary project. Application: Please submit your full application in English with registration number Reg.-Nr. 5-13320/25-D until 30th of January 2026 via e-mail as a single PDF to simon.tragust@zoologie.uni-halle.de. Applications should include a cover letter detailing their motivation to join the project against the background of their research interests and experience, a CV, certificates (MSc/Diploma) and the names and email addresses of two potential referees. Interviews of applicants will take place in February/March. Looking forward to your applications. Simon Tragust Simon Tragust (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************Jobs******************** The Department of Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry at California State University, Monterey Bay invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the assistant professor level to begin in Fall 2026. We seek a teacher-scholar whose work examines the structure, dynamics, evolution and/or function of ecological communities. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching, inclusive mentoring, and a sustainable research program that actively engages undergraduates. California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California's Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Many appreciate living and working close to the shores of beautiful Monterey Bay, with easy access to recreational areas from Big Sur to Santa Cruz. Nearby opportunities for collaborative research include working in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Silicon Valley, and with colleagues at local research universities, including UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Teach lower and upper division courses in Biology and Ecology (like BIO 211 - introductory biology, BIO 340 - Ecology, BIO 449 - community ecology, and a potential new upper division elective course for the Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology concentration - Employ innovative teaching and learning techniques that engage students through the use of technology, hands on experience and problem solving - Mentor undergraduate and graduate students in research - Advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students in academics, capstone projects, internships, and post-degree career options - Sustain innovative and extramurally-funded research in Ecology, leading to publications and professional visibility - Contribute to Department, College, and University-wide shared governance through participation in faculty meetings and committee work - Help implement the goals of the College of Science and the CSUMB Vision MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: - Ph.D. in Ecology, Biology, Evolutionary Biology, or related field by the time of appointment from an APA accredited doctoral program - Experience working effectively in an ethnically and culturally diverse campus community - Commitment to and experience in teaching undergraduates - Excellent written and oral communication skills PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: - Expertise in community ecology (including theoretical and/or field based community ecology) - Demonstrated leadership skills in professional or academic areas are desirable - Research and teaching interests and expertise that complement and strengthen those of existing faculty in the department. - Strong interest in contributing to teaching of an introductory course in ecology as well as upper division courses in community ecology and other relevant areas of expertise - Interest in mentoring undergraduate student research and/or internships - Demonstrated experience with course and curriculum development - Proven ability and desire to mentor and teach students from diverse cultural, ethnic, educational, and economic backgrounds - Record of external funding and writing grant proposals Those interested should look here - https://careers.csumb.edu/en-us/job/552990/assistant-professor-of-community-ecology The deadline for the priority screening data is 01/13/2026. Nate Jue Associate Professor Cal State Monterey Bay njue(at)csumb.edu Nathaniel Jue (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************Jobs******************** Job opening: Professorship in Animal Ecology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. The Faculty of Science and Medicine of the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and the Department of Biology (https://www.unifr.ch/bio/en/) invite applications for an open-rank Professorship in Animal Ecology. Qualified applicants must have an outstanding track record of fundamental research in animal ecology, using quantitative, state-of-the-art approaches with a strong field component. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, biotic interactions, community ecology, conservation biology, ecological modelling, and eco-evolutionary feedback loops. The successful candidate will develop an internationally recognized, competitive research program sustained by external funding. Teaching experience at the university level is expected. The candidate will teach at the Bachelor level and contribute to the Master program "Environmental Biology". The University of Fribourg (https://www.unifr.ch/home/en/) is bilingual (French and German). Knowledge of the second language (oral level B1) is expected. If this requirement is not met, the candidate must acquire it within two years of taking up the position. The University of Fribourg is a signatory to the DORA declaration and attaches great importance to a qualitative assessment of academic performance. The University of Fribourg is an equal opportunity employer and strives towards gender balance and diversity at all levels. Further information on the position is available here: https://www.unifr.ch/scimed/de/faculty/positions Application deadline: 31 March 2026. Informal inquiries can be addressed to Christian Parisod (christian.parisod@unifr.ch) and/or Rudolf Rohr (rudolf.rohr@unifr.ch). Prof. Thomas Flatt Department of Biology University of Fribourg Chemin du Musée 10 CH-1700 Fribourg Switzerland e-mail: thomas.flatt@unifr.ch phone: +41 26 300 8833 phone: +41 26 300 8850 (secretary) https://www.unifr.ch/bio/en/groups/flatt/ European Drosophila Population Genomics Consortium: http://droseu.net/ FLATT Thomas (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoctoral Position: Hawaiian arthropod diversity and community metabarcoding, UC Berkeley We are seeking a postdoctoral scholar to conduct research for NSF- and DoD-funded projects that aim to link signatures of arthropod diversity obtained from DNA metabarcoding, across the Hawaiian Islands with broad scale remote sensing. The postdoc will focus on high-throughput arthropod biodiversity sequencing across two orthogonal gradients set within the same native forest type - the first gradient is a geological chronosequence, from 0-5 million years; the second, intersecting, gradient is a landscape matrix from native to heavily invaded forest habitats on each island. Whole arthropod communities are sampled using genetic signatures from the high-throughput sequencing to test models of community assembly over extended ecological-to-evolutionary time; the models will predict trajectories of assembly and disassembly in the face of rapid biotic change. The lab's study the ecology and evolution of Hawaiian arthropods in the context of the assembly of communities through evolutionary time, and the impact of non-native species. Recent work involves collaboration with researchers working with vegetation monitoring, and geospatial and remote sensing data. The person will be based in the joint laboratory of Professors Rosemary Gillespie and George Roderick (see https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/evolab). Funding is available for two years, beginning as soon as possible. Please send inquiries and applications to Rosemary Gillespie at gillespie@berkeley.edu or George Roderick Applications (link https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05219) should include a cover letter describing your research interests, a CV, and names of three references. Rosemary G Gillespie (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoctoral position in phylodynamics at EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, UK As previously teased, we now have a postodoc position open at EMBL-EBI on 'pandemic-scale phylodynamics', in collaboration also with the Duchene, Lemoine and Zhukova groups at Institute Pasteur, and the McHardy group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. We want to hire somebody from as soon as possible until the end of October 2027. Some details are included below, and please see the official announcement at the application portal at http://tiny.cc/EBIphylodynamics Best regards, Nicola De Maio and Nick Goldman @ebi.ac.uk We are looking for somebody with statistical/computational/genomic epidemiology expertise and skills.� Interest and/or experience in large-scale genomic data analysis and simulation would be a great plus. The aims of our side of the project will be: - developing methods for large-scale global genomic epidemiological simulations, and create a general framework for benchmarking phylodynamic inference methods. - extending MAPLE [1,2,3] to allow massive time tree and phylogeographic inference. - benchmarking existing phylodynamic/phylogeographic methods at large scale. The candidate will be expected to contribute to at least some of these tasks. We will coordinate work on these topics with our collaborators, who will develop scalable methods for the inference of variant fitness [4] and in phylogeography [5] and phylodynamics [6,7]. Links: [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01368-0 [2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09567-x [3] https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.12.603240 [4] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60231-4 [5] https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msz131 [6] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31511-0 [7] https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syad059 Nick Goldman (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************PostDocs******************** A postdoctoral researcher position is available to join a theoretical evolutionary ecology group at the University of Helsinki to work on the evolution of sex-specific differences in immunity and life-history traits. Position details: 3-year fully funded position Starting salary ~ euro 3,625/month Ideal start date: February/March 2026 Methods: optimal control theory, life history modelling, adaptive dynamics, population genetics The position is part of an interdisciplinary consortium on sex differences in immunity, bridging evolutionary theory with immunology, genomics, and demography. Requirements: PhD in biology, mathematics, or related field Strong background in mathematical/computational modelling Apply here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/about-us/careers/open-positions/postdoctoral-researcher-theoretical-evolutionary-biology Applications accepted until the position is filled. For questions, contact me at piret.avila@helsinki.fi Thank you for sharing! Best wishes, Piret Avila Academy Research Fellow University of Helsinki "Avila, Piret" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoc Position in Evolutionary Genomics The Institut Pasteur and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris, France) seek for an evolutionary biologist with strong skills in genome assembly, genome annotation, and comparative analysis of mammal genomes. Research project: We are looking for a post-doctoral candidate to assemble and annotate high-quality genomes from rope squirrel species identified as the most likely reservoir hosts of the monkeypox virus (Curaudeau et al., 2023; 2025). The selected candidate will assemble PacBio HiFi and Illumina reads to publish the first genome assembly of Funisciurus anerythrus and Funisciurus leucostigma (Mammalia, Sciuridae). Genome completeness will be assessed using BUSCO. The candidate will perform a comparative analysis with other mammalian genomes to detect potential signatures of selection in immune genes. The position is funded by the ANRS MIE (Project ECTZ321229) for two years and will be based at the Institut Pasteur and Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris, France). Salary: 40 300 euro brut/year or 44 300 euro brut/year, depending on the year after the PhD. Closing date: Open until filled. The position is available as soon as possible. Candidates should indicate in their cover letter the date they would be available to start the position. Required qualifications: - A PhD in evolutionary genomics; - Strong skills in genome assembly and annotation methods, comparative analysis tools and theoretical aspects of molecular evolution; - Good publication record including several first-author publications; - Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; - Ability to work independently and to lead a research project. Application: Please send all application files, including a cover letter, CV, copies of relevant published papers and preprints, and two letters of recommendation to Antoine Gessain (antoine.gessain@pasteur.fr) and Alexandre Hassanin (alexandre.hassanin@mnhn.fr). References: - Curaudeau M., Kerbis Peterhans J., Le Flanchec T., Gilissen E., Granjon L., Barale L., Gessain A., Hassanin A. (2025). Squirrel reservoirs of monkeypox virus are sister species separated by the Sanaga River (Cameroon), as are the two main viral clades. One health 21: 101157. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101157 - Curaudeau M., Besombes C., Nakouné E., Fontanet A., Gessain A., Hassanin A. (2023). Identifying the most probable mammal reservoir hosts for Monkeypox virus based on ecological niche comparisons. Viruses 15: 727. doi: 10.3390/v15030727 - Gessain A., Nakoune E., Yazdanpanah Y. (2022) Monkeypox. N Engl J Med. 387(19): 1783-1793. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra2208860. Alexandre Hassanin (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************WorkshopsCourses******************** Dear all, We are excited to announce the upcoming online course "Metabarcoding in Microbial Ecology", taking place from 16 to 20 March 2026. Course website: ( https://www.physalia-courses.org/courses-workshops/course30/ ) This course offers a thorough introduction to metabarcoding techniques and their application in microbial ecology, designed to foster international participation. Throughout five days of combined lectures and hands-on exercises, participants will learn the essential computational steps of a metabarcoding study from processing raw next-generation sequencing data to conducting advanced statistical analyses. By the end of the course, you will understand both the potential and limitations of metabarcoding techniques and be able to process your own datasets to answer relevant ecological questions. This course is ideal for researchers and students with a strong interest in applying high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies to community ecology and biodiversity studies. While no prior programming experience is required, a basic understanding of command-line tools and R will help you gain the most from the sessions. For the full list of our courses and workshops, please visit: ( https://www.physalia-courses.org/courses-workshops/course30/ ) Best regards, Carlo Carlo Pecoraro, Ph.D Physalia-courses DIRECTOR info@physalia-courses.org mobile: +49 17645230846 ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/physalia-courses-a64418127/ ) "info@physalia-courses.org" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ********************WorkshopsCourses******************** Registration is now open for the upcoming EMBO Practical Course "Population Genomics: background and tools" to be held in Italy, 15-22 June 2026! IMPORTANT DATES for this Course: Deadline for applications: 10/02/2026 Latest notification of acceptance: 25/02/2026 Course dates: 15-22/06/2026 Registration fee waivers, travel and child care grants available! Full details, including the course programme, invited speakers and the application form: https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-pop-genomics In this EMBO Practical Course, participants will learn fundamental concepts and advanced approaches to reconstruct the demographic history of populations and infer natural selection, using both classic and machine learning-based techniques. Participants will also learn the essential and advanced programming skills required to run the analyses related to the concept presented, with a special focus on machine learning. Keynote lectures focused on major achievements and future perspectives of population genomics will complement the training. Lectures and practicals are delivered by experienced outstanding and inspiring speakers. We expect participants to become fully confident in running analyses on their own after attending this EMBO Practical Course. This EMBO Practical Course aims at evolutionary biologists who already have basic bioinformatics skills. Good knowledge of R is a pre-requisite and knowledge of Python is a plus. Ph.D. students and Postdoc researchers will benefit the most out of this EMBO Practical Course, but applications from all candidates will be evaluated in their context. "Batini, Chiara (Dr.)" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca) ---- Registration is now open for the upcoming EMBO Practical Course "Pangenomics" to be held in Italy, 07-13 June 2026! IMPORTANT DATES for this Course: Deadline for applications: 03/02/2026 Latest notification of acceptance: 17/02/2026 Course dates: 07-13/06/2026 Registration fee waivers, travel and child care grants available! Full details, including the course programme, invited speakers and the application form: https://meetings.embo.org/event/26-pangenomics Pangenomics has emerged as a transformative paradigm in genomics, moving from single linear reference genomes to pangenomes that capture the full spectrum of genetic variation within species. Recent breakthroughs include the completion of the human pangenome reference by the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium (HPRC), revealing millions of previously hidden variants and structural variations that traditional approaches missed. Advanced graph-based representations now enable comprehensive analysis of complex genomic regions, including highly variable immune loci and centromeres. Key technological advances include improved algorithms for pangenome construction (PGGB, WFMASH, IMPG), sophisticated visualization tools (ODGI), and novel genotyping methods from graph references (PanGenie, POVU). Course organizers and instructors contributed directly to HPRC, developing these cutting-edge methodologies and software. These advances are transforming genome evolution, population genetics, and disease research across diverse organisms. This EMBO Practical Course addresses a critical gap in computational biology training. While pangenomics tools are rapidly advancing, researchers lack comprehensive hands-on experience with these specialized methods. This EMBO Practical Course uniquely combines theoretical foundations with practical implementation across the entire pangenomics workflow-from graph construction through variant analysis. By training the next generation of computational biologists in these cutting-edge approaches, we will accelerate the adoption of pangenomics methods and enable more complete characterization of genetic diversity in research worldwide. "Batini, Chiara (Dr.)" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)