A graduate research position (MSc or PhD*) *is available in Dr. Lien
LuongĄĶs research group (http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/lien_luong/)
at the University of Alberta. Students interested in the ecology and
evolution of infectious diseases and/or parasite-host interactions are
encouraged to apply.
Pathogenic organisms that are harmless under certain conditions can
suddenly become extremely harmful under different circumstances. Indeed
levels of parasitism vary continuously in nature, with some species
shifting along a continuum from benign to pathogenic over ecological and
evolutionary time. One of our goals is to investigate the life-history
evolution of parasites that express variation in host exploitation
strategies, and identify the selection pressures that lead to the
transition to a parasitic lifestyle. Facultative parasites present a unique
and interesting opportunity for addressing these questions because they
regularly shift from free-living to parasitic lifestyles. The student will
perform laboratory manipulations and artificial selection to investigate
the ecological and evolutionary transition to increased infectivity.
The Department of Biological Sciences at U of A is one of the largest and
most scientifically diverse departments of its kind in Canada. We offer
research-orientated, thesis-based graduate programs at both the MSc and PhD
levels. Study programs are tailored individually to graduate student needs
and emphasize interdisciplinary thinking. All students accepted into our
MSc program have guaranteed funding for at least 2.3 years and 5 yrs for
the PhD program. Teaching training is provided and is mandatory for all
students on graduate teaching assistant-ships. With ~200 graduate students,
>70 full-time faculty, excellent support facilities and ample research
funding, a vibrant and exciting learning environment is provided. For more
information about applying to the graduate program:
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/programs/graduate/prospective/
Highly motivated and independent students interested in developing their
own research ideas are also encouraged to apply. If you know of an
exceptional student who might be interested, please forward this
information onto him/her. For more information, please contact Dr. Lien
Luong (lluong@ualberta.ca).
Lien T. Luong, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
CW 405, Biological Sciences Bldg.
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
Office: (780) 492-1818
