Assistant Professor (post-doc) - Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw (WB-KG-12/2026) University of Warsaw in Poland

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, is offering a full-time postdoctoral Assistant Professor position in the project “Diversity, ecology, and interactions of Perkinsea parasitic protists in freshwater ecosystems”. The project is led by Dr hab. Anna Karnkowska, prof. ucz. and is funded by the National Science Centre, Poland.

The research focuses on the diversity, ecology, and host–parasite interactions of Perkinsea, a widespread group of unicellular eukaryotic parasites that are especially abundant in freshwater ecosystems but still poorly understood. The successful candidate will help study Perkinsea communities across lakes in the Masurian Lakeland in northeastern Poland, covering gradients from relatively pristine to heavily human-impacted habitats.

The project combines field sampling, long-read metabarcoding, CARD-FISH, network analyses, single-cell transcriptomics, phylogenomics, and laboratory infection experiments. The goal is to identify which Perkinsea lineages occur in freshwater, what hosts they infect, how they interact with hosts, and what ecological roles they play. The position is therefore well suited to researchers interested in protistology, parasitology, microbial ecology, environmental sequencing, bioinformatics, and host–parasite interaction studies.

Main duties include conducting scientific research in biological sciences, publishing in international journals, securing research funding, and performing other academic teaching responsibilities at the University of Warsaw. The post is a temporary full-time appointment for up to 36 months, starting 1 January 2027.

Eligibility requirements include a PhD in biological sciences or a related field, obtained before the application deadline, strong publication and international collaboration record, and a research plan outlining personal scientific development. The institution particularly seeks candidates with experience in protistology and/or parasitology, or in environmental biology/ecology and/or bioinformatics, including metabarcoding, environmental sequencing, biological sequence analysis, phylogenetic analyses, ecological network analyses, and high-throughput sequencing. Experience with freshwater fieldwork, microbial eukaryotes, protists, parasites, environmental DNA, supervising students, science outreach, and securing competitive research funding will strengthen the application. English proficiency is required at an excellent level.

The position offers a basic salary of approximately PLN 9900 gross per month, plus additional annual remuneration and years-of-service allowance. Applications must be submitted by 6 November 2026 by email to [email protected] and [email protected]. Required documents include a personal questionnaire and a motivation letter with a description of scientific interests and a research activity plan.