PhD position in ancient pathogen genomics

The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA) brings together scientists from diverse backgrounds (natural sciences and humanities) with the aim of investigating the history of humankind from an interdisciplinary perspective using comparative analyses of genes, cultures, cognitive abilities, languages and social systems of past and present human populations, as well as those of primates closely related to humans.

PhD position (m/f/d) in ancient pathogen genomics

Starting ideally in August 2026, full-time (39 h/week)

Background and Aims

ERC‑StG EpidemioCene project, the proposed PhD project will focus on the development of new methods to boost ancient pathogen detection.

Supervision

• Dr Arthur Kocher is the PI of the EpidemioCene project. He studies infectious disease history, ecology and evolution using paleogenetics combined with bioinformatic approaches and Bayesian phylogenomics.
• Dr Alexander Herbig is the leader of the Computational Pathogenomics group at MPI‑EVA. He has a strong expertise in the development of bioinformatic tools for ancient pathogen research, including the widely used Heuristic Operation for Pathogen Screening (HOPS) pipeline.
• Dr Megan Michel is a postdoctoral fellow in David Reich's lab at Harvard Medical School. She is an expert in pathogen genomics, with a specific interest in the application of AI algorithms.

Your Qualifications

• Completed or close to completing a Master’s degree in bioinformatics or related topics
• Previous experience with machine learning or scientific software design would be advantageous
• Strong interest in methodological development
• Strong interest in the study of ancient diseases using paleogenetic data (though previous experience in that regard is not mandatory)
• Proficient English skills and a strong motivation for teamworking in an international context (knowledge of German is not required)

Our offer

• A 3-year doctoral funding contract (65 percent of Pay Group E 13 of the Collective Wage Agreement for the Civil Service, TVöD; ~ €3,100 gross monthly), including social security.
• An exciting PhD position in a world‑leading institution in the field of paleogenetics
• Access to state‑of‑the‑art scientific infrastructure
• A collaborative and dynamic research environment
• Integration within the International Max Planck Research School The Leipzig School of Human Origins (IMPRS‑LSHO)
• An excellent quality of life in the vibrant and green city of Leipzig
• Family‑friendly working conditions and support

Key references

• Kocher, A., Krause, J. & Spyrou, M. A. Insights into infectious diseases through ancient pathogen genomics. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 1– ).
• Hübler, R. et al. HOPS: automated detection and authentication of pathogen DNA in archaeological remains. Genome Biol. 20, ).
• Kocher, A. et al. A minimal hybridization capture system for the parallel enrichment and cost‑effective detection of ancient human pathogens. BioRxiv .

How to apply

• By email to
• Please send a single PDF document containing a cover letter (2 pages max.), a CV, proof of your most recent degree and up to two reference letters with the names and contact information of the referees.
• Application deadline: May 7 2026
• Interviews: end of May 2026