PhD or Postdoctoral position in Fungal Comparative (Epi)Genomics
A PhD OR Postdoctoral Fellow position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Nicolas Corradi at the University of Ottawa (ON, Canada).
The PhD position would be fully funded for 4 years, with possibilities of extensions
Postdoctoral (PDF) position would be initially funded for two years, and possibilities to extend the contract via external funding are strongly encouraged and supported (e.g. Human Frontiers, Global Marie-Curie or NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships).
The successful applicant will join a fun and inclusive lab supervised by Dr. Nicolas Corradi. The lab is located in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Project: the PhD or Postdoctoral trainee will help us continue to push boundaries in understanding the complex genetics and genomics of multinucleate plant symbionts called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In particular, the candidate’s work is expected to further highlight the intricate relationships between AMF genomics and those of their hosts through epigenomic analyses. For recent breakthroughs in this area, see representative publications below and our website (https://corradilab.weebly.com/our-work.html).
Application Process:
Generally, we seek someone who is excited about tackling questions that relate to complex genetic systems and genetic interactions between fungal symbionts and their plant hosts and learn new methods. Previous good knowledge of the following areas will be considered assest - Transcriptomics/Comparative genomics, Phylogenomics or Programming skills for the Life Sciences.
A complete application package includes 1) a CV , 2) Cover Letter with a short (half a page) description of past research accomplishments/future goals and 3) the names and e-mail addresses of at least two references. Complete applications can be sent to Dr. Nicolas Corradi: ncorradiATuottawa.ca. N.B: Applications sent without the complete abovementioned documents and/or background will not be evaluated.
Starting date and eligibility
September 1st, 2025 (Flexible). Evaluation of applications starts immediately until a suitable candidate is found. Preference will be given to applications from Canadian citizens and Permanent residents. However, exceptional International applicants are welcomed to apply.
Location: The University of Ottawa is a large, research-intensive university, hosting over 40.000 students and located in the downtown core area of Canada’s capital city (https://www2.uottawa.ca/en). Ottawa is a vibrant, multicultural city with a very high quality of life (https://ottawatourism.ca/en)
Representative Publications and Preprints for the PhD position:
JIN Oliveira, C Lane, K Mugambi, G Yildirir, AM Nicol, V Kokkoris, et al. Analyses of transposable elements in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi support evolutionary parallels with filamentous plant pathogens. bioRxiv.
Sperschneider J. *, Yildirir Y.,* Rizzi, Y, Malar C. M., Mayrand Nicol A., Sorwar E., Chen E.C.H. , Brauer E.K , Bosnich W., Gutjahr C. and N. Corradi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi heterokaryons have two nuclear populations with distinct roles in host-plant interactions. Nature Microbiology (8) 2142-5
Yildirir G.*, Sperschneider J. *, Malar MC, Chen ECH., Iwasaki W., Cornell, C. and N. Corradi. Long reads and Hi-C sequencing illuminate the two-compartment genome of the model arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiont Rhizophagus irregularis. New Phytologist. 223, 1097-1107
Malar M.C. , Krüger M., Krüger C.*, Wang Y., Stajich J.E., Keller J., Chen C.H., Yildirir G., Villeneuve-Laroche M., Roux C.R., Delaux P.M. and Corradi N. The genome of Geosiphon pyriformis reveals ancestral traits linked to the emergence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Current Biology. 31, 1570-1577.e
Kokkoris V., Chagnon P.L., Yildirir G., Clarke K., Goh D., MacLean A.M., Dettman J., Stefani F. and Corradi N. Host identity influences nuclear dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Current Biology. 31, 1531-1538.e6 Vasilis V., Dettman J., Dalpé Y., Stefani F. and N. Corradi. Nuclear Dynamics in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. 2020. Trends in Plant Science 25 p. 41-48.
Yildirir G., Malar M.C., Kokkoris V. and N Corradi. 2020. Parasexual and Sexual Reproduction in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Room for Both. Trends in Microbiology 28 (7), 518-52
Ropars J., Kinga Sędzielewska Toro K. Noel J., Pelin A., Charron P., Farinelli L., Marton T., Krüger M., Fuchs J., Brachmann A., and N. Corradi. Evidence for the sexual origin of heterokaryosis in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. Nature Microbiology 1(6): 16033, 2016.
General Inquiries:
We are always actively looking for passionate postdoctoral fellows, graduate students (MSc and PhD) and Honours undergraduates students. If you are interested in the unique biology and genomics of the microbial organisms we work with, feel free to contact me so that we can discuss available projects and identify common research interests.
If you are interested in joining our lab your official application should include 1) a CV, 2) Cover Letter with a short (half a page) description of past research accomplishments/future goals in our field, and 3) the names and e-mail addresses of at least two references.
Complete applications can be sent to Dr. Nicolas Corradi: ncorradiATuottawa.ca. N.B: Incomplete applications are not reviewed. An non-exhaustive list of external funding opportunities available for Canadian, as well as international students and postdocs:
