PHD STUDENT AND POST-DOC POSTDOC POSITIONS IN PARASITE ECOLOGY:
Decomposing the effects of diversity on the abundanceof marine parasites
As Earth's ecosystems experience rapid biodiversity change, disease
ecologists have turned to an urgent question: how might reductions in
biodiversity affect the transmission of parasites? In other words, does
biodiversity loss increase the abundance of parasites by eroding natural
checks and balances on transmission? Or does it decrease parasite
abundance by removing the free-living biodiversity on which parasites
depend?
In a newproject funded by NSF'sBiological Oceanography Program
(NSF/GEO/OCE), the Wood Lab at the University of Washington is
addressing this questionby quantifying the relationship between fish
biodiversity and parasite abundance across 18 replicate coral reef
ecosystems of the central equatorial Pacific (Northern Line Islands,
Southern Line Islands, French Polynesia). Not only will we explore
whether reductions in fish biodiversity are associated with increases or
decreases in parasite burdens, but we will also assess whether
particular parasite and host traits and the spatial scale of the study
influence the direction and strength of this relationship. The theories
we propose to test are among the most important and controversial in the
rapidly growing field of disease ecologyand our lab is new and growing
fast - read about this and other ongoing projects on our website and
check out our recent publications
<http://www.chelsealwood.com/Chelsea_L._Wood/Publications.html> for more
details.
We seek to hire two creative, accomplished, driven parasite ecologists:
1. PhD Student - The PhD Student will join a vibrant community of
aquatic scientists at the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences in
Seattle, WA, with a start date of September 2019. The research goalsof
this position will include assessing the direction and shape of the
relationship between biodiversity and parasiteabundance across dozens of
parasite taxa and assessing how spatial scale interacts with parasite
dispersal capacity to moderate the effects of biodiversity on parasite
abundance. The PhD Student will primarily work with fish specimens that
will have already been collected, though there may be opportunities for
fieldwork. Applicants must have a background or demonstrated interest in
disease ecology, parasite ecology, or host-parasite interactions.Prior
experience identifying parasites of fishes is not required, but would be
advantageous. To be considered for this position, prospective PhD
students must apply to the graduate program
<https://fish.uw.edu/students/about-graduate-program/how-to-apply/> of
the UWSchool of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Prospective students
should make contact with Chelsea well ahead of the formal graduate
program application deadline of 15 December2018. Please send an e-mail
to chelwood@uw.edusummarizing your research experience andprofessional
goals and attach a CV.
2. Postdoctoral Scholar - The Postdoctoral Scholar will join a vibrant
community of aquatic scientists at the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery
Sciences in Seattle, WA, with a negotiable start date between September
2019 and January 2020.The research goals of this position will include
determining what factors (e.g., parasite traits like transmission
strategyand host specificity, host traits like body size) influence the
direction and shape of the relationship between biodiversity and
parasite abundance. The Postdoctoral Scholar will primarily work with
specimens that will have already been collected, though there may be
opportunities for fieldwork. Applicants must have a background in
disease ecology, parasite ecology, or host-parasite interactions.Prior
experience identifying parasites of fishes is not required, but would be
advantageous. Applicants should expect to have a PhD in hand before the
start date. This position is funded for one year, with possibility of
extension to a second year given satisfactory progress. Interested
applicants should send the following as a single pdf:(1)CV, (2) contact
information for three references, and (3) a brief (< 2 pages) statement
of research interests, as they relate to this position.
All applications will be evaluated based on past research productivity,
alignment of applicant's research interests with the objectives of the
Wood Lab, and the individual's potential to excel as an independent
researcher. Questions about these positions may be addressed to Dr.
Chelsea Wood (chelw...@uw.edu).
--
*Chelsea L. Wood, Ph.D.*
Assistant Professor
University of Washington
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Box 355020
Seattle, WA 98195-5020
cell: +1-831-324-3076
chelw...@uw.edu
www.chelsealwood.com