********************GradStudentPositions******************** Masters of Science in Biology Western Washington University The Biology Department at Western Washington University has openings for graduate students starting Fall 2022. ?Faculty members in the department offer a wide range of expertise, from molecular biology to ecology. ?Graduate students are eligible for teaching assistantships, which fund the majority of tuition and provide a stipend of $14,856 per 9-month academic year. ?WWU is located in Bellingham, WA, a coastal city north of Seattle at the base of Mt. Baker in the northwestern part of the state. ?We strongly advise interested students to contact potential advisors in their area of specialty to get more details about individual labs. APPLICATION DUE DATE: Feb. 1, 2022 More information can be found with the following resources: - The Biology Dept: https://cse.wwu.edu/biology/biology-graduate- program; - The WWU Graduate School: http://www.wwu.edu/gradschool/App_Reqs_Deadlines.shtml; - Dr. David Hooper, Biology Graduate Program Advisor, hooper at wwu.edu; - By contacting the individual faculty, below. Potential advisors Alejandro Acevedo-Guti?rrez: The Marine Mammal Ecology Lab aims to understand the role of marine mammals in their environment and their interactions with humans. ?For academic year 2022-2023, Dr. Dietmar Schwarz and I are looking for a student interested in examining relatedness of harbor seals in the Salish Sea. ?To learn more about this position and about the lab, please visit https://www.wwu.edu/faculty/aceveda/index.html ?Do notice that I ask interested students to informally apply with me by December 17th of 2021. Shawn Arellano: Marine invertebrate larval ecology and deep-sea ecology. The Arellano lab has opportunities to study larval biology and larval ecology in deep-sea, hydrothermal-vent organisms as part of an NSF-funded project. Research training opportunities may include larval culturing and embryology, larval physiology and behavior techniques, use of oceanographic equipment, microscopy, and/or molecular ecology approaches. https://wp.wwu.edu/arellanolab/ Marion Brodhagen: Microbiology, molecular biology, and chemical ecology. ?We are studying the interaction of the fungus Aspergillus with plants. ?Specifically, we are interested in the ability of plant natural products to alter fungal development, including the production of the potent toxin, aflatoxin. ?We also are interested in how growth on agriculturally-used biodegradable plastics alters development and toxin production by this ubiquitous soil fungus. ? https://cse.wwu.edu/biology-faculty/brodham Jim Cooper: The Cooper Evo-Devo lab focuses on aspects of development that have shaped long-term evolutionary patterns. We are particularly interested in how changes in skull morphogenesis alter the cranial mechanics of fishes in ways that allow them to invade new feeding niches. To do this we combine several different approaches that include studies of wild-caught marine fish larvae from the Salish Sea, experimental work with genetically modified zebrafish, using high-speed video to collect biomechanical data, transcriptomic studies of fish skull development, genetic mapping, and evolutionary studies of cranial form and function. Because our work is highly integrative, our lab group can accommodate students with a diverse range of interests. cooperw5@wwu.edu Lina Dalberg: The Dahlberg Lab uses the model organism C. elegans to probe the neurobiological, cellular, and behavioral role for proteins involved in a ubiquitin-dependent processes called Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation (ERAD). Student projects will use a variety of techniques, including fluorescence microscopy, behavioral assays, and biochemical characterization to investigate how ERAD targets neural receptors for degradation. A second, NSF-funded project focuses on teaching and learning in undergraduate science laboratory courses; students interested in this project should have experience (via coursework or research) in education and pedagogy research. http://faculty.wwu.edu/dahlbec/ Deb Donovan: Research in the Donovan lab is focused on restoration aquaculture of our native pinto abalone, Haliotis kamtschatkana. Pinto abalone populations have declined precipitously in the last few decades and we collaborate with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund and with government agencies to restore populations in the Salish Sea. Student projects could focus on any aspect restoration, including optimizing rearing of juveniles at the hatchery, outplanting larval or juvenile abalone, or monitoring abalone at outplant sites. Students work closely with hatchery personnel to identify projects that align with student interest and that contribute meaningfully to abalone restoration. https://www.biol.wwu.edu/donovan/ Nick Galati: Cilia are evolutionarily ancient, hair-like projections that generate hydrodynamic force and process extracellular information. The goal of our lab is to understand how cells build cilia, with a specific focus on how individual proteins traffic to and from a structure at the base of cilia, called the basal body. Much like traffic cameras and GPS illuminate vehicular traffic patterns, we aim to create a spatial map of protein movement to and from cilia as they assemble and sense the environment. To do this, we combine high-resolution fluorescence microscopy with digital image analysis to detect and quantify ciliary protein trafficking in space and over time. Our analyses are primarily conducted in mammalian cells and in the protist Tetrahymena. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/galatid David Hooper: Plant Community and Ecosystem Ecology: effects of riparian restoration on nutrient retention in mixed use watersheds. I am looking for one new graduate student in fall 2022 to work on a modeling project to assess the impacts of riparian restoration on upland nutrient retention in the Nooksack River watershed. ?Student work would combine GIS analyses and modeling of riparian buffers with field work assessing nutrient runoff to validate modeling results. This project is linked to the Nooksack Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen Project and the International Nitrogen Management System. Please see a full description of the project and desired grad student characteristics at my web site below. I strongly recommend contacting me prior to applying if you are interested in working in my lab. https://wp.wwu.edu/hooper/ Suzanne Lee: ?Current research in the Lee Lab is focused on understanding the biological impacts of mysterious non-protein coding RNAs, with the broad goal of elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms that govern RNA production, function, and degradation to maintain optimal cellular health. A major focus of Lee Lab research at the moment is on elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which endogenous RNA interference pathways protect genomes from accumulated DNA damage. ?We are also interested in how proteins involved in RNA interference pathways are regulated and how long non-coding RNAs are recognized for small RNA production through RNA interference pathways. ?To address these and other questions, we employ the tools of biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics, microscopy, cell biology, and reverse genetics, using the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila as our model eukaryotic system. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/lees65 Craig Moyer: My interests are marine microbiology and geomicrobiology focusing on molecular approaches for exploring microbial diversity, community structure and ecological interactions. Presently, my lab and I are focused on the study of iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria acting as the ecosystem engineers in microbial mats found at strong redox boundaries, including seep, spring and vent habitats. We are also examining the evolutionary divergence of surface and deep subsurface Zetaproteobacteria in hydrothermal systems. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/cmoyer Brady Olson: Microzooplankton consume approximately 70% of marine phytoplankton primary production, making them the most significant grazers in the ocean and drivers of globally-important biogeochemical cycles. ?My interests are gaining understanding of the mechanisms that govern the ecology of these important zooplankton, primarily the factors that regulate their feeding behavior. http://faculty.wwu.edu/olsonm/index.html Merrill Peterson: Insect Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity. ?The primary focus of our research is on Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) diversity in the Pacific Northwest. Included in this research is field surveys examining landscape-scale factors affecting community composition, as well as efforts to develop web-based biodiversity resources to facilitate the work of professional entomologists and citizen scientists. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/peterson Lynn Pillitteri: Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology. ?A potential graduate project in my lab would be aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms driving cell type differentiation in the model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/pillitl Dan Pollard: We study the causes of cellular trait variation. Our primary system is mating pheromone induced cell differentiation in baker's yeast. We use a broad array of techniques from genome editing to fluorescence microscopy to computer modeling. Much of our work focuses on RNA and protein metabolism. Current student projects include: (1) Molecular mechanisms of natural variation in protein production and degradation, (2) Genomic analysis of RNA interference pathway proteins (collaboration with Suzanne Lee in the department), (3) Inhibition of CRISPR Cas-9 by nucleosomes, (4) Influences of genetic and environmental variables on the kinetics of cell differentiation, and (5) Diversity and substrate specialization of yeast species in Whatcom county (outreach project w/ local middle schools). Graduate and undergraduate students typically work collaboratively in teams on projects and there are opportunities to develop new research directions. Please email me (pollard@wwu.edu) if you are interested in joining our team. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/pollard Dietmar Schwarz: Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, Evolutionary Ecology. Schwarz's lab offers opportunities to study speciation, hybridization, and adaptation in host specific insects (apple maggot flies and relatives). The Schwarz lab also collaborates with Alejandro Acevedo on the molecular ecology of foraging in harbor seals. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/schward2 Anu Singh-Cundy: Plant Cell Biology and Biochemistry. ?We study cell-cell interactions at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. Current projects are focused on understanding the role of HD-AGPs, which are extracellular glycoproteins that are expressed in the transmitting tissue of the pistil and in the vasculature of roots and shoots. We also study pectins and pectin-modifying enzymes found in the pistil of solanaceous species. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/anu Suzanne Strom: Plankton Ecology and Biological Oceanography. My lab studies the protists at the base of the ocean's food web, including phytoplankton (single-celled algae) and their protist consumers. Areas of interest include the regulation of primary production at high latitudes and the effect of climate change on planktonic food web structure and function. Most of my current research takes place at sea in the northern Gulf of Alaska, as part of the national network of Long-Term Ecological Research sites (https://nga.lternet.edu/). For Fall 2022 we are seeking a graduate student to participate in a new project focused on the smallest phytoplankton in the Gulf of Alaska food web. Please see https://stromlab.wwu.edu/advising for more information. Adrienne Wang: Molecular mechanisms of aging and neurodegeneration. The Wang lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease and in identifying genetic modifiers that confer susceptibility or resistance to disease. We are especially interested in understanding how conserved signaling pathways that affect aging may interact with and mediate disease onset and progression. Current projects use fruit fly models of Alzheimer's disease and mitochondrial disease to investigate these questions using a range of genetic, pharmacologic, and molecular techniques. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/wanga5 Matthew Zinkgraf: Research in the Zinkgraf lab is focused on the ecological and evolutionary genetics of undomesticated forest trees. To accomplish this research, we apply an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes methods from computational biology, genetics/genomics, molecular biology and forest ecology. Ongoing research in the lab is concentrated around two main projects. First, creating genomic resources for Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), and apply these resources to understand patterns of genetic variation and selection. Second, investigating the genetic regulation of wood formation in Populus by understand how epigenetic modifications at specific genes can alter gene expression and regulatory networks. https://biology.wwu.edu/people/zinkgrm Daniel A. Pollard, Ph.D (he/they)? Associate Professor? Western Washington University? WWU Biology Department? Mail Stop 9160? 516 High Street? Bellingham, WA 98225-9160? 360.650.2152?(office)? pollard@wwu.edu? https://biology.wwu.edu/people/pollard pollard@wwu.edu ********************GradStudentPositions******************** Several competitive PhD studentship opportunities are available in evolutionary genomics and molecular ecology in the Welch Lab at Durham University, in the UK. These 3.5-year fellowships provide a tuition fee waiver, a competitive living stipend, and a considerable research allowance. For more information about these projects and how to apply see https://sites.google.com/site/andreannajwelch/jointhelab/phd-studentship-opportunities or contact Dr. Andreanna Welch at a.j.welch@durham.ac.uk. Durham University is consistently rated as one of the top 100 universities in the world. Located in northeast England, the university is situated near the stunning Durham Cathedral World Heritage Site and lies within a 15-minute train ride of the thriving city of Newcastle. The department of Biosciences offers a research-driven environment with projects ranging from the cellular to the ecosystem level. The Ecology, Evolution, and Environment subgroup provides a supportive, diverse, close-knit community of PIs, Postdocs, PhD and MS students. We have access to on-site Next-Gen Sequencing facilities, sophisticated and recently updated supercomputing resources, and a diverse seminar series with local and international speakers. AVAILABLE PROJECTS (4 total, including co-supervised projects): [1] HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A CHANGING CLIMATE: THE EVOLUTION OF CAPITAL AND INCOME BREEDING STRATEGIES IN SEALS Primary supervisor: Dr. Andreanna Welch (Durham University) Co-supervisors: Prof. Prof Rus Hoelzel (Durham University) Eligibility: Anyone can apply Application Deadline: Not yet announced, but likely 5 January, 2022 or shortly thereafter Species in Polar Regions are very sensitive and have evolved specializations over time to successfully survive and reproduce in their unique habitats. Ongoing global climate change is disproportionately affecting polar species, and the question of whether they can cope and adapt to such changes is urgently pressing. Seals are often considered icons for how organisms evolve to adapt to their environment, and they have developed different strategies to successfully produce and raise offspring. The females of some species, called capital breeders, build up large fat reserves, allowing them to give birth and nurse their pups for periods of up to several weeks without feeding. These females may transfer as much as 30% of their body mass to their pups, and seal milk contains the highest levels of fat of any mammal species. The females of other species, called income breeders, don't build large fat reserves, and instead regularly leave their pup to forage. Because income breeding is relatively much more common, it has been hypothesized that capital breeding may have evolved to deal with limited or unpredictable food availability. With the global climate changing rapidly, and industrial fishing impacting marine food webs, food resources for seals around the world are likely changing in both their predictability and abundance. An understanding of the physiological basis for reproductive strategies could provide important insights for understanding the ability of seals to adapt to environmental changes and for managing healthy seal populations for the future. This project will use genome-scale data to address the following questions: 1) What is the evolutionary history of phocid seals and what are the phylogenetic relationships between capital and income breeding species? How has past climate change influenced their evolution? 2) Have strictly capital breeding species evolved specially adapted cellular pathways to convert energy to fat, store it, and then mobilize it to produce milk with extremely high fat content? 3) Does differential gene expression play a role in facilitating the use of mixed strategies? [2] UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF MOSQUITO VECTORS IN FOOD WEBS OF AFRICAN BIRDS AND BATS Primary supervisor: Dr. Andreanna Welch (Durham University) Co-supervisors: Prof. Heather Ferguson (University of Glasgow) Eligibility: Anyone can apply Application Deadline: 7 January 2022, 17:00 GMT Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on the planet, due to their role as vectors of a number of serious diseases. While progress has been made in understanding the ecology of the mosquitoes themselves, there are still many gaps to fill. For example, the natural predators of adult mosquitoes are relatively poorly known, as is the role of these predators in controlling mosquito populations. Bats especially are known to be voracious predators, and may be able to consume 600 mosquitoes per hour, however it remains unclear which species they may be consuming (disease vectors or those that are relatively benign). Our DNA sequence data from bird and bat faecal samples collected from Cameroon show that at least 15 species of bats and birds consume mosquitoes from five different genera, including Anopheles, Culex, Coquillettidia, Eretmapodites, and Mansonia, which include important human disease vectors. However, our data remain incomplete, because it is currently very difficult to assign species-level taxonomy to mosquitoes with available approaches. A related key question regards the role of mosquitoes in natural food webs. Some mosquito control strategies (e.g. using genetic modification) aim to produce sterile mosquitoes, which would cause populations to collapse. However, the ecological impact of such an action on food webs remains unclear. It also remains unclear if wild animals consume a particular subset of mosquitoes at a higher rate, such as those demonstrating insecticide resistance or mosquitoes of a particular sex (male mosquitoes form mating swarms, but females bite humans). This project aims to: A) Identify birds and bats consuming mosquitoes as well as the species of mosquitoes being consumed. B) Using network and ecological modeling approaches, investigate the food webs that these species participate in, and perform sensitivity analyses to answer questions such as: what would happen if one or more predators were removed (e.g. due to land use or climate change)? What would happen if one or more mosquito species were removed from the system (e.g. due to vector control strategies)? C) Identify if predators preferentially consume mosquitoes of particular types (i.e. insecticide resistant mosquitoes or a particular sex). ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AVAILABLE COLLABORATING WITH OUR LAB GROUP: [3] HOW DO DEFORESTATION AND INVASIVE SPECIES ALTER FOOD WEBS IN TROPICAL RAINFORESTS? INSIGHTS FROM DIET DNA METABARCODING ON SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE ISLANDS. Primary supervisor: Dr. Davide Dominoni (University of Glasgow) Co-supervisor: Dr. Andreanna Welch (Durham University) Eligibility: Anyone can apply Application Deadline: 7th of January 2022, 17:00 GMT Tropical biodiversity is deeply threatened by land-use changes caused by human activities. The loss and degradation of forest is a powerful predictor of local species loss, with degradation often leading to the homogenisation of vegetation. This can in turn affect the temporal and spatial availability of resources (e.g., flowers, fruits, leaves and seeds) for the associated fauna, often resulting in the disappearance of the more specialist and sensitive native species, and leading to further biotic homogenisation. Despite important progress in understanding the influence of deforestation and biological invasion on biodiversity loss, comparatively little is known about how these processes impact the interactions between different species, and the implications such altered interactions may have for biodiversity and ecosystem function. Historically, the challenge of building accurate ecological networks has been the difficulty of obtaining detailed datasets across different trophic layers; without such data, the effect of invasive species and forest loss/degradation on ecosystems cannot be properly understood. However, the recent development of high-throughput DNA metabarcoding has overcome this issue, and this technique is being increasingly deployed in biodiversity network analyses. This project will assess the role that native and introduced fauna have in controlling invasive pests, particularly in commercial plantations such as cocoa farms. The project will take place in Sao Tome and Principe, two close tropical oceanic islands in central Africa. These islands hold an extraordinarily high number of endemic species across several taxonomic groups, but also many introduced species, notably birds, mammals and plants. Here, rats, palm civets, mona monkeys and other introduced species have profoundly changed a native ecosystem historically poor on terrestrial mammals. However, the relationships between native and introduced species, and the effects that such relationships may have on biodiversity and local economies, are poorly understood. The project will combine intensive field work along disturbance gradients in the islands of Sao Tome and Principe with advanced DNA sequencing approaches to answer three fundamental questions. 1. How does biodiversity of plants, arthropods, birds and mammals change along gradients of human disturbance? 2. How do introduced species affect ecological networks? 3. What vertebrate species control the population of invasive pests of crop plantations? [4] MODELLING SPECIATION BY INTEGRATING TRAITS INTO POLYMORPHISM-AWARE MODELS Primary supervisor: Dr. Carolin Kosiol (University of St Andrews) Co-supervisor: Dr. Andreanna Welch (Durham University) Eligibility: Anyone can apply Application Deadline: 7th of January 2022, 17:00 GMT Efforts to understand the speciation history of taxa have been hampered by incongruity among phylogenetic trees from different genomic regions. Different biological processes can cause incongruence: horizontal gene transfer or hybridization, gene duplication and loss, and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). ILS occurs when genes coalesce not in extant species, but in the ancestral populations that gave rise to them. As a result, some genes from a species may cluster with sequences from a sister species rather than their own. This project aims to see the "wood from the trees". Dr. Kosiol's group, has developed an approached called Polymorphism-aware phylogenetic Models (PoMo), which is based on allele frequencies and so overcomes these limitations. Standard models treat substitutions as instantaneous events, but PoMo describes them as a process: substitutions start as mutations to new, low-frequency alleles, then experience a series of changes in allele frequency. The changes of allele frequencies are modelled by a continuous-time Markov chain based on DNA models (introduction of variation due to mutations) and the continuous Moran model (removal of variation due to genetic drift and natural selection). In this PhD project the approach will be extended to trait evolution. The project will develop the PoMo approach in a Bayesian framework with the following objectives: (i) Integrate trait evolution into the model, so the method can be used to study genotype and binary phenotype data in a unified analysis. We will use self-incompatibilities in plant as an application as these are well studied and can act as a proof of principal. (ii) Expand the approach from binary traits to multiple discrete states. Together with Dr. Welch's group, the student will work on applications to seabirds (order Procellariiformes) using traits such as flight and foraging. (iii) Tackle time-series data of gene expression (RNA-Seq) as continuous function-valued traits in the context of species trees. Andreanna J Welch ********************GradStudentPositions******************** Dear all, We have fantastic fully-funded opportunities in our PhD programme available! We are looking for candidates with an interest in evolution and/or molecular biology. The PhD Programme "Gene Regulation in Evolution" (GenEvo) in Mainz, Germany, is looking for new PhD student candidates. Check out our poster: https://www.genevo-rtg.de/fileadmin/_processed_/c/6/csm_IMB_Genevo_Poster_2021_V2_3c3e73470a.jpg In the vivid network of the programme, scientist are researching together on the core question of how complex and multi-layered gene regulatory systems have evolved. Experts in their field support & train our PhD students in their cross-over research as well as their personal development. Find more information on our programme and the application process on our website: https://www.genevo-rtg.de/ Please apply by 20 January 2022. We are looking forward to your applications! Best wishes, Ann Kathrin Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ann Kathrin Huylmans Institute for Organismic & Molecular Evolution (iomE) Johannes Gutenberg-Universit�t Mainz Hanns-Dieter-H�sch-Weg 15 55128 Mainz E-mail: a.huylmans@uni-mainz.de Ann Kathrin HUYLMANS ********************GradStudentPositions******************** University of Virginia: PhD position in Evolutionary Genetics. The Bergland lab at the University of Virginia is recruiting a PhD student to work on a NSF funded project study rapid adaptive evolution and meta-population biology of Drosophila over seasonal time-scales. This position will provide training in quantitative and population genetics incorporating field based sampling, laboratory experiments, NGS library prep and data-analysis and will allow the selected student to pursue new and original research questions. This position will also include the development of an outreach program with Citizen Scientists and the opportunity to collaborate in international consortium of Drosophila evolutionary biologists. Applicants with a background in evolutionary biology, genetics, and genomics are encouraged to apply. Experience with Drosophila or other model systems is encouraged but not necessary. The Bergland lab is part of the Biology Department at the University of Virginia. Our department has strengths in Evolutionary Biology, Developmental Biology, and Neuroscience and PhD students experience a broad exposure to cutting edge research across these disciplines. PhD students at UVA also have access to a number of unique fellowship and research grant opportunities. The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charlottesville offers ample access to the outdoors, has a vibrant restaurant and night life, and is close to major metropolitan areas. The deadline to apply for PhD positions in the Biology Depart at UVA is Dec 1, however applications will be considered through December 5. See https://bio.as.virginia.edu/graduate/how-to-apply for more information to UVA's Biology Program. See https://bergland-lab.org for more information on the Bergland lab. Please contact Alan Bergland (aob2x@virginia.edu) to discuss the position. Include a CV and a cover letter addressing your research and educational background to start the conversation. aob2x@virginia.edu ********************Jobs******************** The Department of Mathematics and Science at Pratt (Brooklyn Campus), seeks part-time faculty applicants for the Spring 2022 semester (and beyond) to teach MSWI-260C, Evolution , an introductory/non-majors course. Our ideal candidate is a late-career (ABD) graduate student or early-career post-doc who is interested in teaching nonmajors. Interested candidates should apply here: https://apply.interfolio.com/99028 Questions about this opportunity? Please contact me! -Chris Jensen (cjensen@pratt.edu) -- *Christopher Jensen, PhD* | Acting Chairperson *PRATT INSTITUTE* Math and Science 200 Willoughby Avenue | Activities Resource Center G 43 | Brooklyn, NY 11205 phone: 718.687.5638 | fax: 718.399-4482 | cjensen@pratt.edu *Pronouns = he, him, his / Please feel free to call me "Chris"* * * Christopher Jensen ********************Other******************** Submissions are currently being accepted for the 2022 University of Idaho Fish and Wildlife Film Fest. We invite novice and professional filmmakers, K-12 students, and university students to submit short films (1-10 minutes) or feature length films (10-15 min). The Fish & Wildlife Film Festival at the University of Idaho is dedicated to enhancing knowledge and stewardship of wild nature, including fish and wildlife, the wild landscapes they depend on, and the communities that they sustain. Read more about the festival here . Submission deadline is December 15 at this site . The festival will be held in person and virtually in Spring 2022. Questions contact: lwaits@uidaho.edu Lisette LISETTE WAITS Distinguished Professor Department Head Fish and Wildlife Sciences College of Natural Resources [University of Idaho] President National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs [A picture containing shirt Description automatically generated] lwaits@uidaho.edu 208-885-7823 875 Perimeter Drive MS1136 | Moscow ID 83844-1136 www.uidaho.edu/cnr/faculty/waits "Waits, Lisette (lwaits@uidaho.edu)" ********************PostDocs******************** Postdoctoral research positions at UCLA in human population genomics, computational medicine, and statistical genetics Two postdoctoral research positions are available at UCLA in the newly established PRS Center for Admixed Populations and Health Equity (CAPE). CAPE is one of the 7 NIH center sites aimed at improving how polygenic risk scores can be used to predict phenotypes in diverse communities. Investigators within CAPE aim to develop methods for equitable genetic predictors of a person's risk for diseases irrespective of their genetic ancestry background. Researchers within CAPE will have access to a wide range of genomic data of >230,000 individuals of admixed ancestry across 4 traditional epidemiological cohort studies and 4 large EHR-linked biobanks in diverse urban settings. The successful candidate will have substantial input in the specific nature of the research project within the broader goals of CAPE and will be able to work synergistically with the CAPE investigators at UCLA (Pasaniuc, Olde Loohuis, Lohmueller, Sankararaman, Pajukanta, Eskin, Freimer); Univ of Colorado (Lange, Gignoux); and Mount Sinai Health System in New York (Kenny, Belbin) as well as with the other 5 center sites of the NIH PRS diversity consortium. CAPE is embedded within a vibrant research community in computational, population and medical genetics including the Institute of Precision Health and the department of Computational Medicine at UCLA. The position is available for 1 year and may be continued for an additional year contingent on successful progress and available funding. Salary will be competitive, starting at over $65,000, commensurate with experience. Further, University of California offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and short and long term disability insurance. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in computer science, biology, genetics, computer science, bioinformatics, statistics, biostatistics, computational biology, or a related field. As this is a computational position, proficiency in programming in python, R, Perl, or Python, and shell scripting is essential. Programming experience in C/C++ is highly desired. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong publication record, evidence of substantial research productivity, and ability to successfully communicate scientific information. Review of applications will begin immediately. The position is expected to start as soon as possible with specific dates and salary negotiable. Interested candidates should send a CV, short (1-2 pages) description of research interests and ideas for possible projects, and contact information for 3 references to Bogdan Pasaniuc at pasaniuc@ucla.edu. Please put "Postdoc position" in the subject line. Informal inquiries are welcomed. The University of California is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. More information can be found at: - https://www.genome.gov/news/news-release/nih-awards-38-million-dollars-to-improve-utility-of-polygenic-risk-scores-in-diverse-populations. - https://www.uclahealth.org/news/ucla-health-receives-4-8m-nih-grant-to-improve-genetic-estimates-of-disease-risk-in-diverse-populations - https://www.uclahealth.org/precision-health/ - https://compmed.ucla.edu/ Kirk Lohmueller ********************PostDocs******************** The Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution at the University of Mainz, Germany, invites applications for a Postdoc position (m/f/d) in evolutionary single-cell genomics (Salary level TV-L E13, 100%) in the group of Evolutionary Plant Science and Biotic Interactions, headed by Prof Shuqing Xu. The successful candidate may start on the 1st of April 2022. The salary will initially be provided for three years, with the possibility of extension for another three years. Supported by other group members, the candidate will work on the evolution of gene functions and regulations at cellular level using use the state-of-the-art single-cell genomic tools. During the project, the candidate will mature his/her scientific skills and develop independence in project planning and management skills. The candidate is encouraged to apply for additional third-party funding to establish his/her own subgroup. Requirements: We are looking for a highly motivated researcher with a doctoral degree, or an equivalent thereof, in biology, evolutionary genetics, bioinformatics or computer science. The candidate is expected to design, conduct and organize the projects independently. Experience in analysing a large amount of next-generation sequencing data, in particular, single-cell sequencing and/or comparative genomics data, with a high degree of independence. A training background in bioinformatics, evolutionary genetics and single-cell sequencing is preferred. Applicants must demonstrate experience in statistics and genomics. Experience with molecular biology, epigenetics and computational modelling are a plus. Our group consists of people of various nationalities and teamwork is essential for all projects in the group. Therefore, excellent communication skills, as well as proficiency in spoken and written English, are expected. Good knowledge of German is a plus. Excellent infrastructure and work conditions are available at the University of Mainz. The working language of the lab is English. For further information, please contact shuqing.xu@uni-mainz.de. The University of Mainz hosts many excellent scientific institutions (http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/), and Mainz is a historic city located on the Rhine River with many students and a rich social and cultural life. Applications must be in English and include: (1) a motivation letter stating the research interests with reference to the stated requirements in no more than two pages, (2) a detailed CV including academic and extracurricular achievements, as well as details of all research experience, (3) an abstract of the PhD thesis, and (4) contact details of at least two referees. Applicants should send their documents in one single PDF file to Prof Shuqing Xu (shuqing.xu@uni-mainz.de) with the subject line "Evolutionary Single-cell Genomics Postdoc Position - Your Name". The application review will commence on 31st December 2021. The position will remain open until filled. Prof. Dr. Shuqing Xu Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity University of Münster Hüfferstraße 1 D-48149 Münster E-mail: shuqing.xu@uni-muenster.de Phone: +49 251 83-21090 Shuqing Xu ********************PostDocs******************** Title: UniverisityofTorontoMississauga.EvolutionaryNeurobiology A postdoctoral research position is available in the Senatore Lab at the University of Toronto Mississauga to study the evolutionary origins and deep phylogenetic properties of protein-protein interactions involved in synapse formation and function. These interactions serve to recruit and form complexes with ion channels, neurotransmitter receptors, exocytotic proteins, and signaling molecules at pre- and post-synaptic locations. The candidate will utilize cutting-edge equipment available in the lab and on campus, integrating a broad range of techniques including genomics, phylogenetics, high-throughput protein interaction screening, protein biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and patch-clamp/sharp electrode electrophysiology. The position is full time (40 hours per week), for a period of one year, with the possibility of extending up to two additional years based on need for the position and satisfactory performance in the role. We are seeking a highly motivated individual (domestic or international) who has defended their PhD, has demonstrated success in research including first authored publications and strong letters of reference, and who is interested in mentoring and collaborating with other members of the lab. Individuals who identify with underrepresented groups in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are especially encouraged to apply. The Senatore lab is in the William G. Davis Building at the University of Toronto Mississauga. We are part of the Department of Cell and Systems Biology, comprised of a vibrant, diverse, and energetic group of researchers across all three University of Toronto campuses (St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough). The University of Toronto Mississauga campus backs onto the Credit River, with quick access to beautiful hiking trails along the river. The campus is 33 kilometers west of the University's St. George campus in downtown Toronto, with easy access via university shuttle buses and public transportation. Those wishing to apply should email their CV, a one-page statement of research interests, and a list of three professional references (name, title, and contact information) to adriano.senatore@utoronto.ca. https://senatorelab.com/ https://csb.utoronto.ca/faculty/adriano-senatore/ Adriano Senatore ********************PostDocs******************** Dear colleagues, Please find a post-doc position in evolutionary ecology in Lyon, France. All the informations are below: A post-doctoral position is available at LBBE, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Lyon, France (https://lbbe.univ-lyon1.fr/fr) with the CrashPest ANR project. The candidate will work with Prof Emmanuel Desouhant (emmanuel.desouhant@univ-lyon1.fr) and Dr Laurence mouton (laurence.mouton@univ-lyon1.fr), PI of the project. The CrashPest project aims at developing a novel method to control pest populations of insects. This method takes advantage of intrinsic demographic processes: /Wolbachia/-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility, a form of conditional sterility which allows these bacteria to spread in host populations, combined with an Allee effect arising from mating disruption. The idea is based on a recent theoretical study which hypothesized that the transient decline in population size caused by a successful invasion of /Wolbachia/ could drive the population below its Allee threshold, and consequently, to extinction. The species under study is the pest /Drosophila suzukii/. Within this general framework we are seeking a post-doc experienced in behavioural experimental work with insects, in the theoretical context of sexual selection and life history evolution. The candidate will explore the behaviours of males searching females in a context of mating disruption and then test experimentally the effect of conspecific density on the probability of finding a sexual partner. This experiment will provide information on the component, mate-finding, Allee effect underpinning mating disruption. Moreover, the candidate will investigate the influence of /Wolbachia /(presence, density and strain) on sexual selection (/i.e./ mate choice, strength and direction of sexual selection) with a focus on mate choice that may limit the invasion of the two exotic /Wolbachia/ strains into the natural system. The position (salary: between 2675 et 3805 euro per month before taxation according to experience)would be for 18 months. To apply, please prepare a one-page cover letter explaining your interest, with the names and email addresses of two people with first-hand knowledge of your past research experience. Please, add a curriculum vitae including a publication list (2 pages max.). Send your completed application in a single PDF file by email. The dead line for submission is the 16 december 2021 and the position will be open in march 2022. Application should be done here: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR5558-NATARB-024/Default.aspx All the best Emmanuel and Laurence -- Emmanuel Desouhant Université Claude Bernard Lyon1 43 Bd du 11 Novembre 1918 Bat Mendel, Etage 1 Laboratoire Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), UMR CNRS 5558, VetAgroSup 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France Tél : 00 33 (0)4 72 43 26 33 LBBE :https://lbbe.univ-lyon1.fr/fr Master 'Ecologie, Evolution, Génomique' :https://www.bee-lyon-univ.fr/ Emmanuel Desouhant ********************PostDocs******************** The Weisrock Lab at the University of Kentucky is looking for a postdoc to join the lab and work on research related to ongoing phylogenetic and/or population genetic projects. Current data-ready research projects include a phylogenomic investigation of diversification of salamandrid salamanders (i.e., the newts). The hired postdoc would also have opportunities to participate in the development of new research projects. The Weisrock Lab research program comprises a broad range of interests, with no one major research focus, or taxonomic system. Generally, we use DNA sequence data to study patterns of genetic variation within and between species, and we use these data to learn more about the histories and processes that have shaped these patterns. This includes very fine-scale studies of variation within species to learn, for example, how changing environments or human-mediated factors are influencing populations, to the comparison of genomic data from divergent species separated by millions of years to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and learn something about species diversification. Because Dr. Dave Weisrock is the Chair of UK's Biology Department, postdocs in the lab are relied upon to both lead a research project, while also working closely with the rest of the lab to facilitate normal operations. This includes interacting with undergraduate and graduate students and providing general help with lab organization and activities (e.g., lab meetings). Ideally, the candidate will have experience with computational methods (basic scripting and running packages in R or Python, and familiarity with common phylogenetic and population genetic programs) and will have a research publication record that aligns and/or complements the research program of the Weisrock Lab. The candidate will be comfortable working both independently and as part of a team. The initial appointment of this position is for one year, with potential reappointment available after a first-year review. Salary is competitive and includes benefits. The ideal start date is January 2022 but can be flexible for the right candidate. A Ph.D. in Biology or related field is required and experience in evolutionary, phylogenetic, and/or population genetic research is preferred. The University of Kentucky is a research-intensive (R1) institution located in Lexington, a city with many opportunities for outdoor adventures, arts, and culture. The University of Kentucky is an excellent place to be a postdoc, with a favorable cost-of-living:salary ratio, as well as many other labs engaged in exciting evolutionary research. Our lab is part of a large, diverse Biology Department with ~30 tenure-track faculty, ~12 postdocs, and ~50 graduate students. We expect new postdocs to be active members of this collaborative and supportive environment. The Weisrock lab values diversity and is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive lab environment. Applications from candidates with related scientific interests who are also passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM are strongly encouraged. Applicants should submit a cover letter describing your interest and fit for this position and a current CV. In addition, please provide the names and contact information for two references when prompted in the academic profile. This information may be utilized to solicit recommendation letters from your references within the employment system. Applications received by December 17, 2021 will be given full consideration, although all applications will be considered until the position is filled. If you're interested in the position, please contact Dr. David Weisrock (david.weisrock@uky.edu) and/or current postdoc Dr. Katie Everson (kathryn.everson@uky.edu) for further information. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to protect our university community including our students, staff, faculty and visitors, the University of Kentucky is requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all new hires prior to starting employment. Therefore, as of October 18, 2021, all new hires prior to their first day of employment must submit appropriate documentation showing, i) completion of the first vaccination against COVID-19, or ii) completion of the full vaccination series against COVID-19, or iii) approved exemption (medical contraindications or a sincerely held religious belief) through the formal exemption process from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement. For those employees who have completed the first vaccination against COVID-19 prior to their first day of employment, the second vaccination (if applicable) must be completed following the vaccination recommended schedule to be considered fully vaccinated. Katie Everson ********************PostDocs******************** *Behavioural Genomics and Molecular Ecology Positions (2 postdoc positions)* The Rehan Lab (www.rehanlab.com) is hiring 2 postdoc positions to study 1) behavioural genomics of maternal care and 2) molecular ecology using museomics. The Rehan lab is a collaborative group of researchers, staff, and students focusing on bee behaviour, ecology and evolution. The candidates will join a vibrant team of integrative biologists passionate about social evolution and wildlife conservation. *Behavioural Genomics Position* This postdoc will examine existing data on time course transcriptomics to determine the effects of maternal care on offspring developmental plasticity. The candidate will have the opportunity to develop additional research projects on molecular evolution and behavioural genomics. The successful candidate will have a strong background in comparative genomics and bioinformatics. Analytical and writing skills as well as familiarity with transcriptomic and network analyses are highly desirable. *Molecular Ecology Position * The bee holobiome incorporates species' population genomics, microbiomes and environmental DNA. This postdoctoral researcher will examine wild bee DNA to document species ranges, isolation by environment and ecological stressors. This postdoc will examine wild bee symbioses and potential pathogens in their environments using combined landscape ecology and museomics approaches. The candidate should have experience with bioinformatics and analysis of genomic data. Experience with bees, microbiome, and/or population genetics would be an asset. York University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from women and underrepresented groups. If interested, please send a CV, names of three references, and a short statement of interests to Sandra Rehan *sanrehan@y orku.ca* by Dec. 17, 2021. The Postdoctoral positions are available for two years (with flexible start dates able to start as soon as January 2021) and renewable up to three years with successful progress and performance. -- Sandra Rehan, FLS, FRES | Associate Professor of Molecular Evolution Department of Biology | Faculty of Science | York University 4700 Keele Street | 203D Lumbers Building | Toronto ON | M3J 1P3 Email: sanrehan@yorku.ca | Web: www.rehanlab.com | Tel: 905-598-0125 Sandra Rehan ********************PostDocs******************** The "Human and Machine Cognition" lab led by Dr. Charley M. Wu in collaboration with the "Tools and Culture among Early Hominins" lab and the ERC STONECULT project led Dr. Claudio Tennie invite applications for a Postdoc Research Fellow (m/f/d; E13 TV-L, 100%) to study Cumulative Culture in AI. Our aim is to better understand the human capacity for cumulative culture by developing AI that can distill and transmit social information in a human-like manner. Key ingredients of human social learning we want to model in AI systems include: representational exchange between social and individual learning systems, compositionality of individual knowledge with social information, and the inference of causal structure from partial/failed solutions. Just as the ???cultural explosion??? launched the success of the human species, a similar capacity for cultural learning has the potential to unlock more robust, interpretable, and compositional forms of AI. Note that the exact topic and subtopics are flexible and will depend on the interests of the candidate. For inquiries, please contact: charley.wu[at]uni-tuebingen[dot]de About the position: This interdisciplinary collaboration brings together a unique fusion of expertise, combining innovations in the computational modeling of human behavior and social learning (Dr. Charley Wu; hmc-lab.com), with ground-breaking comparative research into the emergence of culture in humans, hominins and great apes (Dr. Claudio Tennie; sites.google.com/view/claudiotennie/home). The ideal candidate should have a strong computational and mathematical background, for instance, in machine learning, reinforcement learning, multi-agent simulations, cognitive modeling, or a related area. This position is particularly suited for promising researchers recently finished or about to finish their PhD in a relevant discipline, such as cognitive science, computer science, psychology, computational neuroscience, statistics, or biology. A PhD must be completed before the start of the position. Candidates should have worked in or have a strong passion for studying cultural evolution, social learning, and cognitive science, with a general interest and capacity for interdisciplinary research. Please indicate in your application if you have prior experience with conducting human experiments, computational modeling, and machine learning, which are beneficial but not required. Skills in programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Matlab, Javascript, Java, etc.), developing online or VR experiments, writing (in English), and the ability to independently manage a project (of any type) should also be mentioned. What we offer: The position is funded by the T??bingen AI Center, which is associated with University of T??bingen and is the highest ranked academic institution in artificial intelligence in the European Union. In addition, the position is also embedded in the Machine Learning excellence cluster and the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology. There are no formal teaching duties, allowing full flexibility for conducting research. There will be opportunities to mentor and work with PhD students working on related topics such as: structure learning in planning and search, developmental changes in exploration, inductive biases in compositional learning, resource rational adaptations in social learning strategies, and many more. The position is limited for 2 years. About T??bingen: Tu??bingen is a scenic university town on the Neckar river in South-Western Germany. The quality of life is exceptionally high and the atmosphere is diverse, inclusive, and most locals speak English. Tu??bingen offers excellent research opportunities due to the University, four Max Planck institutes, the University Hospital, and Europe???s largest AI research consortium. You can find out more about Tu??bingen here: https://www.tuebingen.de/en/ How to apply: Please send a cover letter, a research statement describing your relevant interests (max 1 page), your CV, the names and email addresses of 2-3 referees, and unofficial copies of your University degrees as a single PDF to Charley Wu (charley.wu[at]uni-tuebingen[dot]de). If not included in your CV, please also include links to publicly available code examples (e.g., github, OSF, etc???). The university seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges qualified women academics to apply for these positions. Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference. The employment will be carried out by the central administration of the University of T??bingen. Please submit your application by Dec 15th, 2021. Charley Wu ********************Conferences******************** Registration is now open for the next Astyanax International Meeting for Cavefish. The cavefish meeting will be held February 27th through March 3th, 2022 at the San Antonio Zoo as an in-person meeting. A virtual option to attend the talks will also be available. To register go here:https://www.stowers.org/aim2022/registration For more information:https://www.stowers.org/aim2022/home We encourage attendance of researchers interested in a wide variety of questions related to cave adaptation or adaptation to extreme and changing environments in general. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Marianne Bronner from Caltech. The meeting will take place at the Hippo Viewing Room and the Beastro Restaurant at San Antonio Zoo. Registration is first come, first served (maximum 150 attendees), and includes a Supporter Annual Pass to enjoy one-year free access to the Zoo. We have secured a large, well ventilated conference space where social distancing will be possible, and CDC guidelines on mask wearing will be followed during presentations. Attendance of social functions is optional. A preliminary program can be found here:https://www.stowers.org/aim2022/program The Astyanax International Meeting for Cavefish is organized by volunteers from the cavefish scientific community and is not sponsored by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. -- Nicolas Rohner, Ph.D. Associate Investigator Stowers Institute for Medical Research 1000 E 50thStreet, Kansas City, MO 64110 Phone: +1 (816) 926-4151 "Rohner, Nicolas"