The following is an ad for a postdoc in the laboratories of Drs. Michelle Afkhami and Christopher Searcy at the University of Miami that was shared with me & might be of some interest to followers of this list.
---- Postdoctoral Position Investigating Effects of Fungal Symbioses on Angiosperm Niche Breadth and Diversification (Afkhami and Searcy Labs, Univ. of Miami, Miami, FL) Drs. Michelle Afkhami and Christopher Searcy are hiring a co-advised postdoctoral scholar at University of Miami to investigate the role of fungal seed endophytes in angiosperm evolution, including expansion of climatic niche breadth and elevation of diversification rates. This project is funded by an NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity grant and integrates phylogenetic comparative methods, DNA barcoding of international seed depositories, and ecological niche modeling to understand how fungal seed endophytes have shaped the evolution of flowering plants. We are also excited for the postdoctoral scholar to bring their own perspective to the system and work with us to develop new ideas to pursue. The postdoc will be mentored by Dr. Chris Searcy on ecological niche modeling and by Dr. Michelle Afkhami on the ecology of fungal seed endophytes in order to integrate these fields with phylogenetic comparative methods and will have the opportunity to mentor undergraduate and graduate students, work with collaborators at University of Kentucky, University of Michigan and the USDA, and publish manuscripts as lead author. This research will be done at primarily at University of Miami with potential trips to visit collaborating labs. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g., ecology, evolution, population biology, plant biology), strong quantitative/statistical skills, a track record of peer-reviewed publications, and interest in contributing to an inclusive work environment. Other qualifications include a strong work ethic, problem-solving and time management skills, independent research experience, and experience with or an interest in phylogenetic comparative methods. Preferred qualifications include experience studying symbiotic relationships. This is a 2-2.5 year position with an ideal start date of January 2024 (flexible start dates throughout Spring 2024). Postdoctoral researchers at University of Miami (UM) are fully benefited employees with UM health insurance/dental/vision, life insurance, retirement program, annual leave, etc. (i.e., same benefits plans as faculty). Salaries for postdoctoral researchers have been standardized at UM based on years of experience and exceed current NIH standardized postdoc salaries (current UM starting salaries range from $57,300-$68,604 depending on years of postdoctoral experience). Afkhami and Searcy labs also provide additional professional development benefits to postdoctoral researchers (e.g., funding to attend conferences to network and share science, etc.). The Afkhami and Searcy labs are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their groups and more broadly in science and academia. We especially encourage candidates that identify as part of historically underrepresented groups in STEM to apply. Interested applicants should send CV (including contact information for 3 references) and a brief cover letter describing previous experience and fit for the position to Dr. Michelle Afkhami (michelle.afkh...@miami.edu). Please also feel free contact her with any questions about the position. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Feel free to reach out to Dr. Afkhami (email above) with any questions. To learn more check out https://michelleafkhami.wordpress.com/join-the-lab/ and/or some of our recent publications from past Afkhami and Searcy lab postdocs (**) and grad students (*) on related topics Revillini, D.**, P. Allen, C. Vigo, A.S. David**, E.S. Menges, C.A. Searcy, & M.E. Afkhami. (2023) Allelopathy-selected microbiomes mitigate chemical inhibition of plant performance. New Phytologist. doi.org/10.1111/nph.19249 Revillini, D**, A.S. David**, K. Main, E.S. Menges, M.E. Afkhami & C.A. Searcy. (2022) Microbiome-mediated response to pulse fire disturbance outweighs the effects of fire legacy on plant performance. New Phytologist. 233: 2071-2082. (Cover Art) Hernandez, D.J.*, A.S. David**, E.S. Menges, C.A. Searcy & M.E. Afkhami. (2021) Environmental stress destabilizes microbial networks. The ISME Journal. doi: 10.1038/s41396-020-00882-x (357 citations, Selected for “Celebrating 15 Years of the ISME Journal” Collection, which recognizes the most cited paper from each year) David, A.S.**, K.B. Thapa-Magar, E.S. Menges, C.A. Searcy & M.E. Afkhami. (2020) Do plant-microbe interactions support the Stress Gradient Hypothesis? Ecology. 101(8): e03081.10.1002/ecy.3081 David, A.S.**, P.F. Quintana-Ascencio, E.S. Menges, K.B. Thapa-Magar, M.E. Afkhami & C.A. Searcy. (2019) Soil microbiomes underlie population persistence of an endangered plant species. American Naturalist. 194: 488-94. Past Afkhami and Searcy lab postdocs have gone on to become Tenure-Track Faculty, the Director of the Plant Lab at Archbold Biological Station, a Geospatial Analyst, an Ecologist for State Conservation Agency, and a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow. -- Liam J. Revell Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston Web: http://faculty.umb.edu/liam.revell/ Book: Phylogenetic Comparative Methods in R <https://press.princeton.edu/books/phylogenetic-comparative-methods-in-r> (/Princeton University Press/, 2022) [[alternative HTML version deleted]] _______________________________________________ R-sig-phylo mailing list - R-sig-phylo@r-project.org https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-phylo Searchable archive at http://www.mail-archive.com/r-sig-phylo@r-project.org/
