I. Archaeogenetic research of domesticated animals
Doctoral School: Genetics Doctoral Program, Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Thesis supervisor: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, PhD
Location of studies: HUN-REN Research Cetre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics (Budapest, 1097 Tóth Kálmán street 4.)
Application deadline: 15th May, 2025
The field of archaeogenetics offers numerous opportunities for research, including uncovering the microevolutionary and selection processes that occur during domestication and breeding, as well as gaining a more precise understanding of the relationship between humans and animals. Among domestic animals, the bioarchaeological research of horses has received and continues to receive significant attention in this scientific field, thanks to the diverse roles horses have played and their close relationship with humans.
The student's tasks include mastering population genetics, phylogenetics, and archaeogenomic analyses, and applying these to genomes extracted from the remains of domestic animals, as well as developing statistical solutions necessary to achieve the project's objectives. The planned archaeogenomic analyses will be supported by archaeological and archaeozoological experts from the working group, while the laboratory part of the work will be carried out by assistants at the Institute of Archaeogenomics. The infrastructure for the research will be provided by the laboratory of the HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeogenomics. In addition to horses, the research of several other domestic animals (such as camels) can also be included in the PhD topic. The thematic and financial support for the research is provided by the MTA-BTK Momentum Bioarchaeology Program.
For this PhD position, an MSc in molecular biology or genetics is required, and a basic knowledge of bioinformatics and the Linux operating system, as well as basic programming skills in R or Python are an advantage.
Required language skills: English
Further requirements: biologist, bioengineer, physicist, or biophysicist degree (MSc); basic knowledge of bioinformatics and of the Linux operating system, basic programming knowledge are an advantage
Number of potential candidates: 1
II. Development of whole genome analyses of ancient samples
Doctoral School: Genetics Doctoral Program, Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Thesis supervisor: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, PhD
Location of studies: HUN-REN Research Cetre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics (Budapest, 1097 Tóth Kálmán street 4.)
Application deadline: 15th May, 2025
Within the field of archaeogenetics, bioinformatics is becoming increasingly important, particularly for developing diverse processing methods for ancient genomic data. The research group at the Institute of Archaeogenomics recently developed an IT system for processing raw DNA data, along with related tools to, for example, monitor sample purity or assist in tracking hereditary diseases and genetic markers related to phenotype (Gerber et al. 2023).
The central theme of this PhD research is to test, adapt, and develop additional methods useful for deeper analysis of ancient genomes. One possible direction for the doctoral work is population genetics, while another focuses on genetic diseases and the selection of specific genomic regions in ancient populations. The student will explore the possibilities and applications of machine learning in archaeogenetic research, which will require a strong interest in informatics and a solid foundation in statistics.
For this PhD work, basic knowledge of bioinformatics and the Linux operating system, as well as basic programming skills in R or Python, are required. The infrastructure for the research is provided by the laboratory of the HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeogenomics.
Required language skills: English
Further requirements: biologist, bioengineer, physicist, or biophysicist degree (MSc), basic knowledge of bioinformatics, knowledge of the Linux operating system, basic programming and biostatistics knowledge
Number of potential candidates: 2
III. Revealing the structure and networks of ancient populations using archaeogenetic tools
Doctoral School: Genetics Doctoral Program, Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Thesis supervisor: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, PhD
Location of studies: HUN-REN Research Cetre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics (Budapest, 1097 Tóth Kálmán street 4.)
Application deadline: 15th May, 2025
The PhD project focuses on the genetic research of ancient populations, employing classical population genetics methods and state-of-the-art genetic kinship analysis tools optimized for ancient DNA remains. As part of the MTA-BTK Momentum Bioarchaeology Programme (2023-2028), it seeks to address archaeological and historical questions through genetic approaches, complemented by further non-human genetic screenings to explore ancient human pathogens.
The infrastructure for the research will be provided by the laboratory of the HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics. The thematic and financial support for the research is provided by the MTA-BTK Momentum Bioarchaeology Programme.
For this PhD position, an MSc or BSc in molecular biology or genetics is required, along with basic knowledge of bioinformatics and the Linux operating system.
Required language skills: English
Further requirements: degree in biology, bioengineering, physics or biophysics (MSc); basic bioinformatics skills and basic knowledge of the Linux operating system are an advantage
Number of potential candidates: 2
IV. Archaeogenomic research of ancient pathogens
Doctoral School: Genetics Doctoral Program, Doctoral School of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
Thesis supervisor: Anna Szécsényi-Nagy, PhD
Location of studies: HUN-REN Research Cetre for the Humanities, Institute of Archaeogenomics (Budapest, 1097 Tóth Kálmán street 4.)
Application deadline: 15th May, 2025
Advances in molecular and computational techniques lead to next-level analyses of the evolution of ancient pathogens and host-pathogen interactions. Analyses of historical epidemics is one of the leading fields in archaeogenomics, which opens great opportunities for PhD students to get to be involved. The aim of the PhD project is to master, apply and develop computational methods to analyse ancient pathogen DNA from human remains processed in the HUN-REN RCH Institute of Archaeogenomics. The student will have the opportunity to develop his/her skills in microbiology, biostatistics and computational biology, which skills are beneficial but are not requirements for the application.
Required language skills: English
Further requirements: degree in biology, bioengineering, or biophysics (MSc), medical degree
Number of potential candidates: 1
We welcome applications from BSc and MSc students who are interested in our topics, looking for a thesis topic or internship opportunities!
📩 Applications should be sent to the director of the institute, Anna Szécsényi-Nagy:szecsenyi-nagy.anna[at]abtk.hu
