Graduate Position: PhD on Plant-Microbe Interactions After Wildfire The Cheeke lab at Washington State University (WSU) seeks a PhD student for Fall 2025 to join in investigating the role of soil microbes in facilitating or inhibiting forest regeneration after high-severity wildfire. The PhD student will have the opportunity to study post-fire tree seedling regeneration and soil microbiomes using a combination of laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments, integrating molecular tools (amplicon sequencing, metagenomics), microscopy, modeling, and statistical approaches, including network analysis. A MS degree and/or prior experience in microbial ecology, forest ecology, molecular biology, analysis and management of large datasets, and bioinformatics would be useful for this project. The successful candidate will join a collaborative research team, with Dr. Tanya Cheeke (WSU Tri-Cities) serving as the PhD advisor (microbial ecology, plant-microbe interactions, restoration ecology), Dr. Stephanie Porter (WSU Vancouver) serving as the co-Advisor (evolutionary ecology, plant-microbe interactions), and with Dr. Geoff Zahn from Utah Valley University (mycology, genomics, biostatistics, bioinformatics), serving as a member of the student’s Graduate Committee.
Project Background. Although high-severity wildfires imperil forest ecosystems, the large-scale disturbance they impose also provides a window of opportunity to dissect ecological patterns and processes shaping microbiome-host dynamics. This project leverages multi-institutional collaboration and partnerships with existing afforestation efforts to identify the ecological factors and microbiome attributes that support forest regeneration after wildfire disturbance. Data will be used to build a predictive framework for understanding how soil microbes may contribute to reforestation efforts. Lab Description. The PhD student will be Advised by Dr. Tanya Cheeke in the School of Biological Sciences at WSU. The Cheeke lab (https://tanyacheeke.com<https://tanyacheeke.com/>) focuses on understanding how changing environments impact plants and microbial communities across scales. Current research projects examine how symbiotic interactions shape above and belowground communities in response to disturbance and investigate how microbiomes can be tailored to improve plant productivity. Work in the Cheeke lab spans agricultural and natural systems, bridges basic and applied science, and integrates molecular tools, microscopy, and laboratory, field, and greenhouse experiments to address their research questions. The Cheeke lab is housed in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University, Tri-Cities. The PhD student will be co-advised by Dr. Stephanie Porter, WSU. The Porter lab (https://labs.wsu.edu/stephanie-porter/) investigates diverse projects on the Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Microbe Interactions, ranging from how symbiotic plants and microbes adapt to environmental stresses to the ways in which plant-microbe cooperation shifts during crop domestication. The Porter lab is housed in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University, Vancouver, WA. The student will also work with collaborator Dr. Geoff Zahn at Utah Valley University (Orem, UT), who will serve on the graduate student’s committee. Dr. Zahn’s lab (https://gzahn.github.io<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://gzahn.github.io__;!!JmPEgBY0HMszNaDT!o1591RvTnyXcixoc375f6rmq23rcDKTcTMsQI9SiByNTv7V_xBuoD0Nv_vkW37JasTQ5GV7znhUF8k5S5NknyA$>) investigates microbial dispersal, microbiome assembly, and microbial contributions to plant phenotypes in a range of terrestrial and aquatic systems, with a focus on bioinformatics and modeling. How to Apply. A BS in a relevant scientific field is required; an MS with a relevant scientific field is preferred. If interested, please email an inquiry with the subject header, “Plant-Microbe-Fire PhD,” with CV, GPA, relevant experience, skills, and coursework, and a short statement explaining your interest in the position to tanya.che...@wsu.edu<mailto:tanya.che...@wsu.edu>. Application review will begin on November 18, 2024, and the successful applicant will begin their PhD program in the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at WSU in Fall 2025. Acceptance for this position is contingent upon acceptance to the graduate program in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University (deadline January 10, 2024) https://sbs.wsu.edu/graduate-studies/apply/ More information: * For more information about the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at WSU, please see: https://sbs.wsu.edu/ * For more information about the graduate program in SBS, please see: https://sbs.wsu.edu/graduate-studies/ * For more information about the WSU Tri-Cities campus, please see: https://tricities.wsu.edu/ Tanya Cheeke (she/her/hers) Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences Washington State University 2710 Crimson Way Richland, WA 99354 www.tanyacheeke.com<http://www.tanyacheeke.com/> To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
