UCLA/La Kretz Workshop in Conservation Genomics, 25 - 29 March, 2017 Conservation biology, genetics, and evolutionary biology have had a long and intimate relationship, and conservation constitutes one of the key applications of evolutionary analysis to real-world biological problems. The impacts of population and landscape genetics and gene expression studies have been particularly striking, and are helping to solve some of the most pressing problems in biological conservation.
As the field of conservation genetics continues to grow and mature, the availability of genome-scale data stand to make profound new contributions to our ability to identify and protect at-risk populations and recover those that are most endangered. However, genomic analyses also carry a heavy burden—data sets are enormous, often requiring diverse computational approaches for assembly, quality control and analysis. The La Kretz annual workshop provides a comfortable, rigorous, but informal training environment for a small group of motivated graduate students to explore how conservation problems can best be addressed with genomic-level data. Our goal is to provide hands-on experience in the efficient collection, troubleshooting, and analysis of large data sets for conservation-relevant problems. One of the highlights of our workshop is active participation from members of several governmental agencies who are at the forefront of endangered species protection and management, providing a forum for exploring the most relevant aspects of conservation genomics to managers. The UCLA/La Kretz workshop is held at the La Kretz Field Station (https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/santa-monica-mountains-research/) and Stunt Ranch Reserve (http://stuntranch.ucnrs.org/) in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. Only 30 miles from UCLA and the LAX airport, but nestled in the relatively undeveloped 160,000 acre Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Field Station/Stunt Reserve provides an ideal location to explore new developments in genomic science and pressing needs in conservation and management together in a single setting. Our current instructor list, drawn from UCLA faculty and several other partner institutions, includes: Ben Fitzpatrick (U. Tennessee Knoxville) Kirk Lohmueller Evan McCartney-Melstad Ian Wang (UC Berkeley, tentative) Brad Shaffer Victoria Sork Bob Wayne Ying Zhen Erin Toffelmier Alice Mouton/Devaughn Fraser Emily Curd/Zach Gold Agency partners represented include: USGS BLM USFWS CDFW Topics covered include: Overview of traditional conservation genetics Next generation platforms: the best tool for the job Data management pipelines: Quality Control Data storage Data organization Data types and analyses: SNPs Sequences Exploring very large data sets Functional genomic data RNA-seq RADseq pipelines, from raw reads to analyzing data Genomic data and GIS Visualizing geographic structure and demographic history Admixture, clines, and hybridization Detecting adaptive variation RNAseq in a conservation context eDNA as an emerging tool Prerequisites: Available housing limits course enrollment to ~20 students. Preference will be given to masters and doctoral candidates who are in the early to middle stages of their thesis research, and who have some familiarity with using a command line interface or programming languages (i.e. Perl, python etc.). We also welcome applications from postdocs, faculty, and government researchers, although our top priority is graduate student applicants. We encourage applications from women, minorities, and individuals from under-represented demographics in the sciences. Admission and Fees: Applicants will be admitted based on academic qualifications and appropriateness of research interests. The course fee is $425. This includes food and lodging at the La Kretz Field Station, as well as any incidental fees, for the duration of the course (arriving Saturday March 25, departing Thursday March 30). This year, the workshop is co-sponsored by a UC Catalyst program grant, which will provide some student support and staffing. University of California students from any campus may apply for partial support (up to $225) from the newly awarded Conservation Genomics Consortium (https://ucconservationgenomics.eeb.ucla.edu/) funded under the UC Catalyst program. To do so, simply note in your application that you would like to apply for this partial support. UCLA students are encouraged to take the La Kretz Workshop for graduate credit. Other UC students may also be able to take the course for credit.   Application Forms and Information: Visit the UCLA/La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science website for additional information: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/lakretz/our-work/la-kretz-annual-workshop-conservation- genomics/ Download an application form: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017-La-Kretz-Conservation-Genomics- Application-1.pdf Application Deadline: Applications are due by February 5, 2017. Please send a completed application form and a short letter of recommendation from your major advisor. Students will be notified via e- mail by February 10, 2017 of acceptance. Applications should be emailed as a single PDF (including the letter of recommendation) to: Mario Colon, ([email protected]). Please note if you are a University of California student or postdoc, and if so, whether you are requesting financial assistance.
