********************GradStudentPositions******************** Graduate Position: Western Connecticut State University The Pinou Lab, in collaboration CT DEEP Wildlife Division, Connecticut DOT, and the Norwalk Aquarium is looking for a student interested in pursuing a MS to join our Terrapin Tracking Team to collect data on Diamondback Terrapins in Connecticut. We are particularly interested in motivated students with an interest in integrating land use ecology with citizen science research. The project is part of a larger effort to map wildlife mortality on Connecticut roads. The student will be responsible for responding to hotline calls and managing all spatial and temporal data, as well as for working with citizen scientists to conduct surveys. The project will provide the student experience in geographic information systems (GIS) and in implementing citizen science initiatives. This project can be applied towards the stewardship requirement for the MS degree and can be used to develop a research thesis that explores frameworks in wildlife conservation, landscape and urban ecology, the reliability of citizen science data, and the intersection between citizen science outreach and policy. Student support includes university assistantships, internal scholarships, and fellowships (internal and external). Interested students should contact the PI at pinout@wcsu.edu and include a cover letter describing your research experience and interests, as well as a CV by May 15th. All interested students must hold a drivers license and be accepted into the MS in Integrated Biological Diversity program (http://wcsu.edu/biology-msbiodiversity/how-to-apply/). Theodora Pinou, Professor of Biology MS in Integrative Biological Diversity CSCU Program Coordinator, & WCSU program liaison H. G. Dowling Herpetological Collection Faculty Curator Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Western Connecticut State University 181 White Street, Danbury CT 06810 E-mail: Pinout@wcsu.edu Phone: 203-837-8793 Fax: 203-837-8875 https://sites.wcsu.edu/pinout/ Theodora Pinou ********************Jobs******************** Postdoc position in Cultural Phylogenetics We have extended our search for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant with expertise in comparative phylogenetic methods. The post is a PDRA position in a European Research Council Starting Grant project entitled 'VariKin: Cultural Evolution of Kinship Diversity' led by Professor Fiona Jordan in the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology at the University of Bristol. We require an individual with expertise in phylogenetic comparative methods and techniques for understanding macroevolutionary processes, particularly in language and culture. The project team has amassed a large global database of kinship terms, and the objective for this role is to explore the cultural evolutionary dynamics and patterns of kinship terms. The successful candidate will primarily be responsible for the design, implementation and analysis, and writing-up of two investigations. The post is offered on an open-ended basis with fixed funding for 12 months (full-time). The project and funding is due to come to an end November 30th 2020. Start timing is flexible, but we hope for the successful candidate to be in post as soon as possible. Supplementary Info You will have a PhD in evolutionary approaches to biology, anthropology, or language, or a similar field. It is essential that you have skills in a range of phylogenetic comparative methods, particularly BayesTraits and relevant R packages. Phylogenetic inference skills to examine reticulation (e.g. NeighbourNet etc) may also be useful. Broad experience with quantitative and computational data analysis (preferably using R), and with parallel/cluster computing, is highly desirable. There will be an opportunity for further skills training. Preference will be given to candidates who have worked with cultural/linguistic datasets although this is not essential. You will require excellent organisational, communication and presentation skills. Experience with comparative data collection from written sources, database maintenance, and careful data curation are essential. You should demonstrate that you can engage in interdisciplinary collaborative work with the other VariKin team members. Your particular role will work closely alongside the PI and PhD student investigating kinship system evolution across cultures, but there is scope to contribute to other strands in the project (developmental field studies of children's kinship knowledge, and cross-linguistic corpus analyses). For informal enquiries you are encouraged to contact the PI Fiona Jordan (Fiona.jordan@bristol.ac.uk) and see our lab website at http://excd.org/varikin See the further particulars and apply through the UoB portal here. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/details.html?nPostingID@914&nPostingTargetID3394&optionH&sortÞSC&respnr=1&ID=Q50FK026203F3VBQBV7V77V83&Resultsperpage&lg=UK&mask=uobext Please provide a cover letter that describes your skills and experience, your research interests, and details how you meet the criteria; and your current CV. For more information on the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology see: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/archanth/ Closing date for applications May 22nd. -- Fiona Jordan Professor of Anthropology Evolution of Cross-Cultural Diversity Lab Department of Anthropology and Archaeology School Research Director sart-srd@bristol.ac.uk School of Arts University of Bristol 43 Woodland Road Bristol BS8 1UU Tel: +44 (0)117 954 6078 twitter: @fiona_jordan Secretary, Cultural Evolution Society https://culturalevolutionsociety.org/ Fiona Jordan ********************PostDocs******************** [Note - reposted due to formatting issues with a previous version, with new due date of May 15] The research group of John Pool at the University of Wisconsin - Madison invites applications for a postdoctoral research position. There are multiple opportunities for projects to work on, with an overarching theme of addressing big questions in population/evolutionary genetics. I'd like to give the successful candidate for this position a strong voice in shaping their research direction in the lab. Potential research areas could include: * The Genetic Architecture of Adaptive Evolution When traits evolve in nature, we'd like to understand how many genes are involved, whether selection acts on standing variation or new mutations, whether it ultimately fixes the causative variants, and how predictable these changes are across populations evolving in parallel. We are also looking at the roles of epistasis and cryptic variation in the adaptive process. We focus on local adaptation among Drosophila melanogaster populations from contrasting natural environments, which provides a powerful and efficient system for addressing these questions. * The Genetic Architecture of Reproductive Isolation Perhaps surprisingly, both viability and reproductive incompatibilities exist between African and European populations of D. melanogaster, which diverged only ~10 kya but now occupy very different environments. We are developing this largely untapped system as a prime model for the evolution of reproductive isolation, with an interest in both mapping specific incompatibilities and estimating genome-wide parameters relevant to this partial isolation. * Fundamental Population Genetics We are interested in leveraging big data (such the >1000 genomes from our Drosophila Genome Nexus) to ask basic population genetic questions. Examples could include new angles on the classic but unresolved controversy over the relative roles of selective sweeps and background selection, the relative occurrence of hard and soft sweeps on autosomes versus the X chromosome, and estimating the total number of adaptive differences between two populations. Our research group was founded 7 years ago and currently includes 1 postdoc and 5 PhD students. I have advised 4 former postdocs, and the publication records of Amir Yassin and Justin Lack show what a productive environment our lab can be. I also welcome postdocs taking important components of our research with them when they found their own labs. Further lab info: http://www.johnpool.net UW-Madison offers a superb scientific environment with a supportive, collaborative, and egalitarian culture. Many labs focus on population genetics, evolutionary genomics, and Drosophila research: http://www.evolution.wisc.edu/view_faculty https://genetics.wisc.edu/drosophila-and-other-insects/ Madison offers an exceptional quality of life in a beautiful landscape, and has been ranked as the best US city for young adults. Downtown and campus are bordered by lakes, and Madison features diverse art, music, cultural, and culinary offerings. http://www.visitmadison.com/media/rankings/ To apply, send a a statement of research interests (up to 1 page) addressing the intersection between your own scientific interests and the Pool lab's research, and potential projects of interest, along with a CV and contact info for 3 references. I am interested in adding to the diversity of our lab in a broad sense, including gender balance, cultural perspectives, and intellectual backgrounds and skill sets. Start dates are flexible. Salary follows the NIH scale. Individual or family health insurance is offered. Applications are due May 15. However, earlier applications are welcome, and later applications may still be considered. Informal pre-application inquiries (e.g. to discuss potential research topics) are also welcome at any time. John Pool Associate Professor Laboratory of Genetics University of Wisconsin - Madison jpool@wisc.edu ********************PostDocs******************** We have a 2-year postdoc position in microbial genomic epidemiology available at the new Quadram Institute in Norwich UK, investigating the drivers and dynamics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella in pig and poultry production. The project provides an incredible opportunity to address key questions in this field, such as the relative importance of horizontal gene transfer and the impact of antimicrobial use on AMR, and the position includes working with fantastic collaborators at the University of São Paulo. More information can be found at the following link or by emailing me at alison.mather@quadram.ac.uk: http://jobs.quadram.ac.uk/Details.asp?vacancyID425 The closing date for applications is 23rd April 2019. Lucy W ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoc position: Genetic tracing of marine fish sources for aquaculture feeds The Therkildsen and McIntyre Labs at Cornell University, in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund's Oceans Program, are hiring a postdoc for a new project evaluating the sources of fish used to feed the global expansion of aquaculture. The project will apply metabarcoding methods to examine the taxonomic composition of aquaculture feeds collected worldwide.  The resulting species lists will be used to assess the global geography of connections between the harvest of wild fish and the production of farmed fish. The ideal candidate will have completed a PhD by May 2019, have strong skills in molecular ecology (metabarcoding and bioinformatics experience is especially relevant), an interest in fisheries, and a strong publication record commensurate with career stage.  We expect the postdoc to help design and then execute genetic analyses in the lab, and to lead bioinformatic data processing and biogeographic inferences based on metabarcoding results, fish distribution patterns, and fisheries landing data.  Equally important, the postdoc will be encouraged to serve as an intellectual co-leader of the project, and assist with seeking further funding.  This project is a collaborative effort, and will require a team-oriented approach as the postdoc works with both Cornell PIs, EDF staff, and another postdoc studying mercury contamination in aquaculture feeds. The desired start-date is during June 2019.  A competitive salary and benefits package will be provided, and residence in Ithaca, NY is expected.  The postdoc will join a vigorous multidisciplinary community of scholars in the Department of Natural Resources and Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future at Cornell University.   To apply, please submit a 2-page letter of interest, a CV, pdfs of up to three publications, and contact information for three references.  Application materials should be sent to both Nina (nt246@cornell.edu) and Pete (pbm3@cornell.edu), using the subject line "Application for aquaculture barcoding postdoc position".  We welcome pre-application inquiries and questions.  Review of applications will begin on 25 April, and will continue until the position is filled. nt246@cornell.edu ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoctoral position in the evolutionary ecology of colour polymorphism The Roulin Group is working on the evolution, maintenance and adaptive function of melanin-based colour polymorphism. To this end, we work with the barn owl because in the same population conspecifics vary in the degree of ventral plumage coloration from white to dark reddish. We could already show that this polymorphism is associated with diet and is locally adapted. Our goal in this project is to investigate whether differently colored owls forage in different habitats, whether they use different foraging methods and whether they achieve a different foraging success. To this end, we will monitor foraging behavior using GPS fixed on the back of adult barn owls. We thus propose a postdoctoral position in movement ecology in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. The postdoc will join a dynamic team working mainly on the evolution, maintenance and genetics of melanin-based polymorphism. For more information, see https://www.unil.ch/dee/roulin-group. Research project: Barn owl (Tyto alba) breeding pairs have been equipped since 2016 with GPS and/or Accelerometer tags. In parallel, individual and clutch parameters were monitored, as well as landscape and weather data. In this framework, the postdoc research projects will be defined based on her/his personal interests and competences. We are seeking to recruit someone with a strong interest in evolutionary biology and movement ecology, with skills in at least one of the following: GPS-based habitat selection methods; GPS- and/or Accelerometer-based behavior classification; Movement data statistical analyses; Energetics. Experience with fieldwork, bird handling and GPS tagging could be an advantage. The applicants should also have a strong ability to work in team as PhD students are also involved in this project. Contract information: We propose a postdoctoral position at 100% for one year, with two possible renewals of two years each (maximum 5 years). While most of the time will be dedicated to research, teaching will also be expected (including master supervision). Expected start date: 01.08.2019 or to be agreed. Host University The Department of Ecology and Evolution in Lausanne University hosts research groups working on a broad range of topics, producing a rich intellectual and social life. Although French is the common language in Lausanne region, the department research activities and seminars are conducted in English. The campus is located on the shore of the Geneva Lake, with the view on the Alps. Applications Informal enquiries should be sent to Alexandre Roulin (alexandre.roulin@unil.ch), and formal applications should include a cover letter detailing your research interests, experience and motivation for applying, a CV, and the names of two or three referees. The University of Lausanne promotes an equitable representation of men and women among its staff and encourages applications from women and minority groups. Alexandre Roulin ********************Conferences******************** June is soon! Make sure to register for Sex & Asex: The Genetics of Complex Life Cycles the American Genetic Association President's Symposium 2-4 June 2019, Portland, Oregon Organisms across the tree of life have complex life cycles that include both sexual and asexual reproduction. Our speakers apply genomic and genetic studies to untangle the evolutionary effects involved. Join AGA President Maria Orive at beautiful McMenamins Edgefield. AGA symposia are small, friendly gatherings and provide wonderful opportunities for researchers and students to engage with one another and share their science. Details on the AGA website: http://www.theaga.org Speakers: Key Distinguished Lecturer Sally Otto Rebecca Zufall, University of Houston Stacy Krueger-Hadfield, University of Alabama at Birmingham Matthew Hartfield, University of Edinburgh Laura Katz, Smith College Nadia Singh, University of Oregon Tanja Schwander, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Curt Lively, Indiana University Catherine Rushworth, UC Davis Solenn Stoeckel, INRA Rennes, France Jennifer Anderson, Uppsala University, Sweden Mercedes Burns, University of Maryland Jeannette Whitton, University of British Columbia and -- 8 oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts. Anjanette Baker theaga@theaga.org Anjanette Baker ********************Conferences******************** FASEB Mobile DNA is coming this summer! The Mobile DNA Conference: 25 Years of Discussion and Research June 23-28, 2019 in Palm Springs, California. Please be aware that registration for the 2019 meeting is NOW OPEN and the early registration deadline is fast approaching. For detailed information, visit https://src.faseb.org/mobile-dna/ Important dates: Advance registration deadline Wednesday, May 8, 2019 Last day to register Saturday, June 1, 2019 Travel awards are available from FASEB and other sponsoring organizations. http://www.faseb.org/Science-Research-Conferences/Awards-and-Travel-Grants.aspx (Note: The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) is sponsoring four travel awards, $500 each, to junior evolutionary biologists specifically for this conference.) Organizers for this year's meeting are: David Ray - Texas Tech University Wenfeng An - South Dakota State University Victoria Belancio - Tulane University Stephane Boissinot - NYU Abu Dhabi Richard Cordaux - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Please contact any of us if you have questions not answered at the website. See you this summer! -- David A. Ray Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Phone: (806) 834-1677 www.davidraylab.com www.crocgenomes.org/ david.4.ray@gmail.com Even the best of us have bad days. "I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everyone and everything." - Charles Darwin - Oct. 1, 1861 David Ray