ShadeLab is recruiting a new Ph.D. Student
Position available: Ph.D. student in microbial ecology
Keywords: microbial ecology, disturbance, rarity, resilience, stability, metagenomics, community ecology
Overview
We seek a curious and driven Ph.D. student to join our team! The laboratory of Ashley Shade at Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI USA) investigates microbiome resilience and stability. The student will be at the forefront of research in support of a new, five-year National Science Foundation CAREER award to understand the ecology of rare microorganisms and their roles in community resilience.
Criteria
Applicants should hold a B.S. or M.S. in a field related to ecology, microbiology, molecular biology, or environmental science and have demonstrated aptitude in research. Strong writing and communication skills are desired, and experience with quantitative analysis (e.g., statistics, computing, or bioinformatics) will be considered favorably. Geeks welcome!
Program
The student will join the excellent Ph.D. training program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior (EEBB) and have a choice of major in either Microbiology and Molecular Genetics or Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. The student must meet the graduate program admission criteria. S/he will be closely mentored in research to gain expertise in ecology and microbiology, and well-supported in professional development. The research training will be broad, and will involve field and laboratory studies, metagenomic and metabolomic methods, synthetic microbial communities, and quantitative analyses.
Intellectual community and resources
The student will engage with a thriving intellectual community of diverse researchers through EEBB, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, the Plant Resilience Institute, the Ribosomal Database Project/Center for Microbial Ecology, and the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action. Michigan State University boasts impressive infrastructure and resources that will support the research, including world-class high performance computing, and core facilities in genomics, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry.
Benefits
The student will be provided with a graduate research assistantship that includes a stipend for living expenses, academic fees, tuition and health insurance.
Contact
Please send inquiries to shadeash@msu.edu. Please include a CV and a statement of research experience and interests. The start will be no later than summer/fall 2019, but could be as early as fall 2018. We encourage inquiries from persons who identify with groups underrepresented in the sciences.
