Deal EvolDir community, The Sharbrough Lab (http://sharbroughlab.com) in the Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology (EEMB) Department at UCSB is looking for one PhD student to join the lab in Fall 2026. Our lab is interested in evolutionary genetics and genomics, especially, but not exclusively, in plants. Research in the lab is particularly focused on polyploidy, cytonuclear interactions, and how cytonuclear co-evolution shapes phenotypes and fitness. Ongoing projects in the lab include: - Genome architecture of organelle gene expression regulation - Photosynthetic and respiratory performance in diploid vs. polyploids - Mitochondrial genome evolution in the context of hybridization and introgression - Gene vs. genome dosage and its relationship to epistasis - Regulation and gene co-expression of cytonuclear interactions - Genomic patterns and evolutionary consequences of diploidization - Plant-herbivore interactions and co-evolution, particularly in the context of invasive pests - Eco-evolutionary dynamics of runaway polyploidy in mycoheterotrophic plants Graduate students in our lab develop independent projects integrating approaches from genetic/genomic, molecular/cellular, organismal, and computational perspectives, all within a positive and collaborative environment. Strong candidates will have a record of prior research experience and a keen interest in evolutionary biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and/or plant biology. Support for the position is guaranteed for 5 years, either as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or as a Teaching Assistant (TA), with the minimum salary being set by collective bargaining agreement and years of experience. In addition, your tuition, campus registration fees and university student health insurance will be covered by fee remission as a benefit of this academic employment. *How to apply / next steps:* Prior to applying to the EEMB graduate program, interested parties should email Dr. Sharbrough at jsharbro@ucsb.edu, including the following items: (1) CV including contact information for up to 3 references, (2) an unofficial transcript, and (3) a brief statement (1 pg max) describing your research interests and prior research experience. I'd be happy to discuss potential project ideas and answer questions about the EEMB program. The application deadline for the EEMB program is December 1st. For more information about the EEMB Graduate program and requirements, see EEMB Graduate Program - UCSB (https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/academics/graduate) and EEMB application instructions (https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/academics/graduate/apply ). If you have colleagues or students who might be interested, please feel free to forward this email. Joel Sharbrough, Ph.D. (he/his) Assistant Professor Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California, Santa Barbara website: http://sharbroughlab.com email: jsharbro@ucsb.edu "jsharbro@ucsb.edu" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)