PhD Position in Evolutionary & Developmental Genomics University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras We invite applications for a PhD position within the newly funded NSF E-RISE II initiative, an ambitious island-wide effort transforming Puerto Rico into a hub for innovation in life sciences, biotechnology, and computational biology. This multi-institutional project integrates comparative omics, single-cell biology, evolutionary genomics, computational science, and AI to unravel the molecular rules that link genomes to phenotypes across development and deep evolutionary time. At this website you can find more information on the project: https://www.lifeblueprint-upr.com/ https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2435987&HistoricalAwards=false Project Focus The PhD student will join a collaborative team investigating the molecular architecture of development using a comparative framework of butterflies diverged over ~90 million years. We aim to determine: How genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic information is integrated at single-cell resolution How cells acquire identity, function, and fate across tissues, life stages, and evolutionary distances Which developmental mechanisms are conserved and which are innovation-driven How computation and AI can decode complex biological patterns and build predictive models of development What We Offer A PhD position within a vibrant, interdisciplinary, international research environment An incredibly vibrant and enjoyable tropical lifestyle Access to cutting-edge technologies: single-cell omics, long-read genome assembly, comparative genomics, high-performance computing, and AI-based data integration Opportunities to collaborate across seven partner institutions and the emerging PR-LIFE-DECODE Science & Technology Center Training at the interface of evo-devo, multi-omics, bioinformatics, and quantitative biology A supportive, inclusive research community committed to workforce development and scientific innovation Ideal Candidates We welcome applicants from diverse scientific backgrounds, including: Evolutionary biology, developmental biology, genetics Bioinformatics, computational biology, data science, or AI/ML Genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell biology, or quantitative approaches A passion for integrative, big-data, comparative science is essential. How to Apply Please send a CV, brief statement of research interests, and contact information for 2-3 references to: Riccardo Papa, rpapa.lab@gmail.com, riccardo.papa@upr.edu Florence Piel, florence.piel@upr.edu Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Riccardo Papa Full Professor, Department of Biology Director of High Throughput Sequencing Facility University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras Julio García Díaz (JGD) 213 Rio Piedras, San Juan PR 00931 tell: 787-764-0000 ext 4827(office) or 7764(lab) fax: 787-764-3875 Lab website: www.riccardopapalab.com Riccardo Papa (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)