PhD positions Landscape and Conservation Genomics of Fish Dalhousie University

Support is available for two PhD positions in the laboratory of Daniel
Ruzzante at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) for
research in landscape and conservation genomics of fish in Labrador
and Patagonia. A Masters (MSc) degree with a background in population
genetics and molecular laboratory or bioinformatics experience is
required. One project will involve fieldwork in Labrador and the other
in Patagonia. Both positions expected to start in the 2015/2016 academic
year.

Applicants please send a statement of research interests, CV and the
names and e-mail addresses of two people willing to act as academic
references to:

Dr Daniel Ruzzante, Killam Professor,
Department of Biology,
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H4J1
email: daniel.ruzzante@dal.ca, 
http://myweb.dal.ca/~ruzzante

Daniel.Ruzzante@Dal.Ca

A PhD position is available in the lab of Adam Eyre-Walker at the University of Sussex to work on bacterial population genetics.

A PhD position is available in the lab of Adam Eyre-Walker at the
University of Sussex to work on bacterial population genetics.

The vast majority of organisms on this earth are prokaryotes and they
are responsible for many of the biggest problems facing mankind, from
diseases such as tuberculosis and typhoid, to hospital infections,
such as those caused by methicilin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA). However, despite their prevalence and importance we still have a
poor understanding of bacterial population genetics. We know the genome
of many bacteria is highly labile so that any two strains of a bacterial
"species" share only some genes; this has led to the concept of a core
genome and an accessory genome. However, the evolutionary forces that
act upon both genomes have not been extensively investigated. The aim
of this project is to rectify this and to look at several aspects of
bacterial population genetics in over 100 bacterial species for which
multiple strains have been completely sequenced. The project will involve
the bioinformatic analysis of publicly available data. Students with a str
 ong background in evolutionary biology, genetics and/or bioinformatics
 are particularly encouraged to apply.

The position is available to UK and EU residents only. It is fully funded
for 3.5 years; funding includes fees and a stipend equivalent to the
standard UK research council rate (currently �13,863 per annum). The
position involves 50 hours of teaching a year.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Adam Eyre-Walker -
a.c.eyre-walker@sussex.ac.uk. Further details about the group can be found
at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/eyre-walkerlab/index. Applications
must be made through the University of Sussex's clunky graduate school
application system http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/pg/applying/. Apply
for September 2015 entry. Mention the name of supervisor in "suggested
supervisor" section. In funding mention sponsored or seeking funding. In
Award details mention School of Life Sciences funded studentship. Include
brief statement of interest (upto 2 pages), CV, two academic references,
UG/PG transcripts, IELTS/TOEFL results if residing in EU. Only full time
students will be accepted. Deadline for applications is 30/11/14

A.C.Eyre-Walker@sussex.ac.uk

PhD Fellowship in Paleobiology/Paleontology at the University of Pennsylvania

PhD Fellowship in Paleobiology/Paleontology at the University of Pennsylvania

A PhD fellowship in Paleobiology is available in the Department of Earth
and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, starting
in Fall 2015. Prof. Lauren Sallan seeks a graduate student to address
major paleobiological questions, such as how global change has affected
life over time, how life evolves at high levels (macroevolution), and
the origins of living biodiversity. Specific topics include, but are not
limited to: the drivers and ecological consequences of mass extinction
(e.g. the end-Devonian Hangenberg event), the role of predation and
competition in setting marine biodiversity, the characteristics of
adaptive radiations and 'living fossils,' the effects of long-term
environmental events (e.g. the Late Paleozoic Ice Age) on biodiversity
trends, and transitions in early vertebrate evolution (e.g. origin of
jaws, invasion of land). The student can also develop a novel project
that address similar questions using quantitative, phylogenetic and
descriptive methods. While research in the lab has focused on fishes,
any suitable group of fossil animals may be used.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Prof. Sallan (lsallan@sas.upenn.edu)
for more details. Additional information on the fellowship is available on
the departmental website: www.sas.upenn.edu/earth. Applications for entry
in Fall 2015 are due December 15, 2014. Applications to graduate school
at Penn must be submitted online at https://www.applyweb.com/upenng/

Lauren Sallan
Assistant Professor
Earth and Environmental Science
& Evolution Cluster
University of Pennsylvania
Office: 154B Hayden Hall
Phone: (215) 898-5650
Website: www.LaurenSallan.com
E-mail: lsallan@sas.upenn.edu

Lauren Sallan 

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

The Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston
(UH) welcomes applications for its graduate program in Evolutionary
Biology and Ecology for Fall 2015.  The following faculty in the area
of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology have opportunities available for
their labs:

Blaine Cole (bcole@uh.edu) - Evolution and social behavior
Dan Graur (dgraur@uh.edu) - Molecular evolutionary bioinformatics
Dan Wells (dwells@uh.edu) - Evolution of development and behavior
Diane Wiernasz (dwiernasz@uh.edu) - Sexual selection
Elizabeth Ostrowski (eaostrowski@uh.edu) - Experimental evolution and social evolution
Erin Kelleher (eskelleher@uh.edu) - Evolutionary genetics and genomics
George Fox (fox@uh.edu) - Experimental evolution and origin of life
Gregg Roman (gwroman@uh.edu) - Evolution of behavior
Kerri Crawford (kmcrawford3@uh.edu) - Community ecology
Rebecca Zufall (rzufall@uh.edu) - Evolutionary genetics
Ricardo Azevedo (razevedo@uh.edu) - Evolutionary genetics
Rich Meisel (rpmeisel@uh.edu) - Evolutionary genetics and genomics
Steve Pennings (spennings@uh.edu) - Community ecology
Tim Cooper (tcooper@central.uh.edu) - Experimental evolution
Tony Frankino (frankino@uh.edu) - Evolution of complex traits

For more information regarding the Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
graduate program at UH see:

http://www.bchs.uh.edu/graduate/prospective-students/
http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/prospective-students/how-to-apply/

The deadline for application of prospective students is February 1st,
2015, but students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Ricardo B. R. Azevedo, PhD
Associate Professor
Dept. Biology & Biochemistry
University of Houston
369 Science & Research 2
Houston, TX 77204-5001
Tel: 713-743 4149
Fax: 713-743 2636
Email: razevedo@uh.edu
Website: wwworm.biology.uh.edu

razevedo@Central.UH.EDU

PhD position: The evolution of the supercolony and the role of parasites

PhD position: The evolution of the supercolony and the role of parasites

 Investigating the evolution of cooperation is essential to explaining the
ecological dominance of many social species. The highly successful social
insects are often thought of as colonies residing in single
internally-cooperative nests. In reality, many ant species form nests that
connect cooperatively with neighbouring nests, becoming 'unicolonial'.
Explaining the evolution of unicolonial cooperation is challenging because
although conspecifics in these extended colonies are behaving
co-operatively, they also compete for resources. Resource competition means
that a unicolonial strategy should be vulnerable to cheats who recognise
closer kin and cooperate selectively, securing resources for their own near
relatives, at the expense of the whole colony. In the light of this
potential instability, how does unicoloniality arise and persist? One
possibility is that parasitism drives co-occurrence of multiple queens for
increased genetic diversity, allowing colonies to split between connected
nests. This studentship addresses the current lack of theoretical models of
the evolutionary of unicoloniality and the absence of empirical data on the
effects of parasitism on unicoloniality.

How to apply

This project will be co-supervised by Elva Robinson (Biology, University of
York) and James Marshall (Computer Science, University of Sheffield). The
project will start Oct 2015 and is competitively funded. UK/EU students
only. If you would like to apply, please send a CV and covering letter to:
Elva.Robinson@york.ac.uk

Elva Robinson 

Research Scientist in Computational Biology at the University of Zurich (80 - 100%)

Research Scientist in Computational Biology at the University
of Zurich (80 - 100%)

The Payne group seeks a research scientist to work on questions
related to the evolution and robustness of transcription factor
binding sites (see Payne & Wagner, Science, 2014). The overarching aim
of the group is to understand the design constraints, robustness, and
evolution of transcriptional regulation systems, using both
computational modeling and data-driven approaches
(https://sites.google.com/site/joshualevipayne/). We are hosted within
the laboratory of Prof. Andreas Wagner at the University of Zurich
(http://www.ieu.uzh.ch/wagner/).

We seek a creative and self-motivated individual that is well versed
in computation and has a passion for evolutionary biology. This will
be demonstrated via an advanced degree (preferably a Ph.D. in computer
science, physics, biology, or a related field) and a strong
publication record. Fluency in English is required (oral & written); experience 
working on transcriptional regulation and/or with large, noisy datasets is a
plus.

This position is part of an Ambizione Fellowship awarded by the SNF to
Dr. Payne. The duration of the position is two years and the salary is
competitive. The earliest starting date is January 5th, 2015.

Interested parties should email a statement of interest and their CV,
including publication list, as a single PDF to
joshua.payne@ieu.uzh.ch. Please include the names of at least three
references. For full consideration, please apply by October
31st. Evaluation of candidates will begin thereafter and will continue
until the position is filled.

joshua.payne@ieu.uzh.ch

A postdoctoral position is open

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION - C. ELEGANS EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION

A postdoctoral position is open in the laboratory of Henrique Teotonio 
at the Institut de Biologie de l'�cole Normale Sup�rieure, in Paris, 
France (http://www.ibens.ens.fr/spip.php?article351).

Our research is focused on C. elegans experimental evolution to 
temporally heterogeneous environments.  We are studying the role of 
natural selection under different breeding systems in the evolution of 
distributions in life-history, metabolism and gene expression traits. 
The project will be defined according to the candidate�s interests and 
previous experience.
The candidate will have a PhD in quantitative genetics or population 
genetics, with a strong background in QTL or GWAS mapping,  analysis of 
selection gradients and modeling of demography. The candidates should 
also have the programming skills to conduct data mining or 
individual-based simulations. Experience with experimental evolution and 
analysis of large data sets is preferred.

The position is funded by the European Research Council, for a monthly 
net salary between 2400-2700EUR, depending on experience and track 
record, plus social benefits associated with the contract (for 
comparative price indices see 
http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?QueryId=24057). The successful 
applicant can start as soon as December 2014. The position is funded 
until January 2016, although there is the possibility of extending it 
for another year pending successful evaluations.

A two-page CV, a letter of motivation and the contact information of two 
referees should be sent by email to Henrique Teot�nio at 
teotonio@biologie.ens.fr as a single PDF file. Applications will be 
reviewed until position is filled. We welcome informal inquiries.

teotonio 

Dear colleagues, The applications to the BioSys PhD program are open with 11 fellowships.

Dear colleagues,

The applications to the BioSys PhD program are open with 11 fellowships.
There are no restrictions applying to citizenship or age. Please distribute
among your students.
Please find the project details and instructions for applications here:
http://biofig.fc.ul.pt/training-phd-programme

Kind regards,

Andreia

Andreia J. Amaral, PhD
BioFIG - Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics
Instituto de Medicina Molecular
University of Lisbon
Tel: +352 217500000 (ext. office: 28253)
email:andreiaamaral@fm.ul.pt ; andreiaamaral@fc.ul.pt

Andreia Fonseca 

A PhD position is available in the laboratory of Erik Dopman in the Department of Biology at Tufts University.

Our research is a collaborative  project with Rick Harrison at Cornell University, and the successful applicant will be part of a larger team at both Cornell and Tufts.

Our work focuses on the evolution of barriers to gene exchange during
speciation. We apply a combination of comparative and experimental
approaches using the European corn borer moth as a model system. Corn
borers are a textbook example of incipient speciation, in which one
species splits into two through the evolution of multiple forms of
reproductive isolation. Of 12 potential isolating barriers between corn
borer "strains," seven significantly reduce gene flow and five are either
behavioral or ecological in nature. Current efforts are to identify the
molecular genetic basis for traits contributing to reproductive isolation,
to characterize the evolutionary history of these traits, and to evaluate
the consequences of barrier loci on fitness and gene flow in nature.

We seek a creative and motivated graduate student to work on speciation,
adaptive evolution, or genome evolution. Students must have the
ability to work with others and a sense of humor. Undergraduate
coursework in evolutionary biology is required, as is prior research
experience. Relevant and highly desirable experience includes application
of molecular genetic techniques or computational analysis of gene or
genome data.

Relevant papers include:

Wadsworth, C.B., Woods, W.A., Jr, Hahn, D.A., and Dopman, E.B. (2013). One
phase of the dormancy developmental pathway is critical for the evolution
of insect seasonality. J Evolution Biol 26(11):2359-68

Dopman, E. B., P. S. Robbins and A. Seaman. 2010. Components of
reproductive isolation between North American pheromone strains of the
European corn borer. Evolution 64:881-902.

Dopman, E. B., L. Perez, S. Bogdanowicz and
R. G. Harrison. 2005. Consequences of reproductive barriers for
genealogical discordance in the European corn borer. PNAS 102:14706-14711.

Dopman, E. B., S. M. Bogdanowicz and R. G. Harrison. 2004. Genetic
mapping of sexual isolation between E and Z pheromone strains of the
European corn borer. Genetics 167:301-309.

The Dopman Lab (http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/dopman/Default.htm)
is in the Department of Biology and is a member of Tufts' Collaborative
Cluster in Genome Structure and Developmental Patterning.  The Cluster
focuses on genome to organism research and is located at a new Tufts
facility on the main campus in Medford, MA.  With two additional Tufts
campuses (in Boston and Grafton), other research universities (Harvard,
MIT, BU), and the vibrant city of Boston all within reach, Medford and
Tufts are ideal places to live and work (http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/).

Interested individuals should contact Erik Dopman by e-mail
(erik.dopman@tufts.edu) and describe their research interests,
relevant educational background, and prior research experience. Also
include a CV with GPA/GRE scores and the names and contact information
of 2-3 references. Applications to the graduate program are due on
15 January, with departmental review occurring shortly thereafter.
See http://ase.tufts.edu/biology/graduate/index.asp for more information
on the graduate program. Informal inquiries are welcome.

Erik.Dopman@tufts.edu

A PhD position is available in the group of Walter Salzburger at the Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland.

A PhD position is available in the group of Walter Salzburger at the
Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland.

The aim of the project is to study the early phases of adaptive divergence
in East African cichlid fish. The project is highly integrative and
involves a combination of RAD and genome sequencing, comparative genomics,
geometric morphometric analyses and ecological assessment. Moreover,
a series of behavioural experiments and tests on phenotypic plasticity
will be carried out in the lab as well as in the field. The position is
funded for 3 years by the Swiss National Science Foundation and will be
based at the Zoological Institute in Basel, but will include field-work
at Lake Tanganyika. Starting date is November/December 2014.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate with interests in evolution,
speciation, ecology and genomics. A master degree in Biology is required,
experience in molecular biology, genomics and/or behavioural experiments
are a plus. Applicants should have high social skills, a good level
of written and spoken English and should be able to work under field
conditions in Africa.

Please send your application, including a CV and a copy of
your degree, and the names of two referees to Dr. Bernd Egger
(bernd.egger@unibas.ch). Applications will be evaluated starting
immediately and continue until October 19th, 2014.

For further information see: 
- http://evolution.unibas.ch/salzburger/
- http://www.salzburgerlab.org

Bernd Egger
Zoological Institute
University of Basel
Vesalgasse 1
4051 Basel
Switzerland

bernd.egger@unibas.ch