*UCLA/La Kretz Workshop in Conservation Genomics, 24 - 28 March, 2018*
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
computational burden—data sets are enormous, often require diverse
skills and approaches for assembly, quality control and analysis.
The La Kretz annual workshop provides a comfortable, rigorous, and
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 (UCLA), Evan McCartney-Melstad (UCLA), Ian
Wang (UC Berkeley), Brad Shaffer (UCLA), Victoria Sork (UCLA), Bob Wayne
(UCLA), Ying Zhen (UCLA), Erin Toffelmier (UCLA), Alice Mouton (UCLA),
Devaughn Fraser (UCLA), Emily Curd (UCLA), Zach Gold (UCLA).
Agency partners represented include: US Geological Survey, Bureau of
Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Dept.
of Fish and Wildlife.
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: promise and reality
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 USD. This
includes food and lodging at the La Kretz Field Station, as well as all
incidental fees, for the duration of the course (arriving Saturday March
24, departing Thursday March 29).
Like last 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 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. We will provide documentation of the course if needed at your
home institution.
APPLICATION FORMS
Visit the UCLA/La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science
website for additional information and to download an application form:
**https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017-La-Kretz-Conservation-Genomics-Application.docx
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications are due February 15, 2018. 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 20, 2018 of
acceptance.
**
*Applications should be emailed as a single PDF (including the letter of
recommendation) to: William Zou at **[email protected]*
<mailto:[email protected]>
*IMPORTANT: Please note if you are a University of California student or
postdoc, and if so, whether you are requesting financial assistance.
Assistance is limited.*
