PhD student and postdoc positions in phylogenomics, host-symbiont
diversification in the Simon Lab
The Simon lab at the University of Connecticut seeks creative and
motivated PhD students and Postdoctoral candidates interested in
phylogenetics, molecular phylogenomics, bioinformatics, and/or
symbiont-host interactions (endosymbionts and/or microbiomes) to begin
in the summer or fall of 2017.Experience in the preceding subjects
preferred but not required.
Applicants will participate in an NSF sponsored project entitled:
Exploring Symbiont Biodiversity and Complexity in the
Family Cicadidae.The major goal of this proposal is to study the
co-diversification and interaction between cicadas, their primary
“obligate” endosymbionts, their secondary “facultative” endosymbionts
and their gut microbiota. Cicada obligate endosymbionts have recently
been demonstrated to exhibit spectacular and unprecedented genome
diversity.Since cicada symbionts are largely unknown our work will
result in considerable biodiversity discovery. We hypothesize that gain
or loss of host-symbiont consortium members during cicada phylogenetic
history will be correlated with internal or external environmental
changes. We are most interested in the timing of symbiont consortium
changes. For example, does the gain of a secondary (facultative)
endosymbiont facilitate the breakdown or loss of primary (obligate)
endosymbionts? Or does the breakdown or loss of the obligate
endosymbiont allow invasion by a secondary endosymbiont? Similarly, we
ask whether the changes in the gut microbiota affect primary
endosymbionts (keeping in mind that gut microbiota are known to
synthesize essential amino acids for some hosts). Other hypotheses
concern changes in symbiont consortium membership related to changes in
the biotic or abiotic external environment coincident with the invasion
of new biogeographic areas characterized by different climates and host
plants. Broader impacts will involve teaching collaborations with team
members in the US, Brazil, China, India, NZ, and Fiji.Field trips to
Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Fiji, and India are planned.
Senior Personnel and collaborators on the project include:Thomas Buckley
(NZ), David Marshall, John Cooley, John McCutcheon, Emily and Alan
Lemmon, Chris Owen, Beth Wade, Al Sanborn, Dan Mozgai, Max Moulds (AU),
Ben Price (UK), Martin Villet (ZA), Deepa Agashe (IN), Krushnamegh Kunte
(IN), Sudhanya Hajong (IN), Cong Wei (CN), Hong He (CN), Daniela Takiya
(BR), Tatiana Ruschel (BR), and Peter Lockhart (NZ, FJ), and numerous
cicada researchers around the world.
Interested and qualified *PhD* candidates should send an email
describing their motivation, skills, and research experience/interests
along with a CV, GPA, GRE and TOEFL (if relevant) scores. Applicants
should also arrange to have letters sent letters sent by three referees
who are familiar with the candidates work. Strong applicants will be
contacted to schedule an informal Skype interview. Applications to UCONN
(early admission) are due December 15^th with rolling admission
thereafter. I recommend applying asap and prior to January 15^th .
Financial support for Ph.D. students is available via research
assistantships from our NSF award, teaching assistantships, and
university fellowships, but applications to outside funding sources are
also strongly encouraged. Send all material to [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
Interested, qualified *Postdoctoral* candidates should send an email
describing their motivation, skills, and research experience/interests
along with a CV, and copies of relevant publications.Applicants should
also arrange to have letters sent by three referees who are familiar
with the candidates work (including the PhD advisor). Postdoctoral
support is available through our NSF award but applications to outside
funding sources are also strongly encouraged.Send all material to
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.Strong applicants
will be contacted to schedule an informal Skype interview.
The successful candidates will join the EEB Department at the University
of Connecticut and also have opportunities to work in the laboratories
of collaborators.The EEB department is a diverse, highly collegial and
interactive group of scientists.Relevant to these positions, we are
particularly strong in Systematics with eight faculty members whose
major focus is phylogenetic systematics and half a dozen others who use
phylogenetics in their work.We offer three graduate courses in
systematics (Principles and Methods of Systematics, Molecular
Systematics, and Phylogenetic Systematics) plus numerous relevant grad
seminars.There is a strong symbiont group on campus that includes
members of EEB and Molecular and Cell Biology.EEB also has strengths in
phenotypic plasticity and functional morphology, global change ecology,
behavior, and organismal evolution, ecology and conservation.
