PhD Student- Sexual selection in complex environments

We are looking for a candidate for a PhD fellowship (4 yrs). The position
would be based at Dr. Pau Carazo's research group at the Cavanilles
Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology of the University
of Valencia (Spain), but the student would also have the opportunity
to conduct several long (4 months or more) stays at Uppsala University
(Sweden), in Dr. David Berger's group.

The project aims to understand how habitat heterogeneity modulates
sexual selection and sexual conflict, ultimately promoting or limiting
adaptation to novel environments. In the wild, organisms have evolved
to reproduce under dynamic ecological conditions, but we largely ignore
how such habitat complexity affects different mechanisms and episodes of
sexual selection, arising trade-offs, and the nature of standing genetic
variation for fitness. This information is crucial to disentangle the
effects of sexual selection on organism phenotypes, populations viability,
and the potential for adaptation. The work will be conducted using
the insect models Drosophila melanogaster and Callosobruchus maculatus
combining behavioural and fitness assays, experimental evolution, and
genomic analyses.

We are looking for candidates with a keen interest (and ideally some
background) in evolutionary biology and animal behaviour.

The PhD will be funded by an FPI fellowship by the Spanish Government
(awarded to Dr. Carazo), and is open to candidates that have finished
a MSc (or are due to finish this year). Monthly (net) salary is
~1300 euro  during the first/second year, ~1500 euro  during the third
year and ~1600-1700 euro  during the fourth year, with the possibility
of transitioning to a post doc position during the fourth year if the
PhD finishes before the end of the 4yr fellowship. The fellowship also
comes with added funding for research stays.  Candidates should send a
CV and an expression of interest to Pau Carazo (University of Valencia;
pau.carazo@uv.es) or David Berger (david.berger@ebc.uu.se).

The deadline for applications is the 30th of September.

Pau Carazo <pau.carazo@uv.es>

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