Oferta de doctorado tropical en evolución, ecología y conservación (Ecuador/USA)

The Karubian Lab (http://karubian.tulane.edu) is seeking applications from prospective PhD students interested in tropical rainforest evolutionary ecology and conservation, with a focus on palm trees in Ecuador.

Students will be encouraged to develop independent research that combines fieldwork on ecological processes (e.g., dispersal, competition, survival) with laboratory-based genetic approach (e.g., population genetics / genomics, transcriptomics) to better understand the forces that regulate patterns of diversity within and among species. In doing so, students will build upon previous and ongoing NSF-funded work in the Karubian lab that links behavior of dispersal agents to seed and pollen movement; characterizes ecological and genetic drivers of non-random seedling survival; and documents how naturally occurring environmental variation interacts with human activities to shape patterns of diversity. Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/publications/ and http://karubian.tulane.edu/research/plant-animal-interactions/ for more information.

The Karubian lab has a strong commitment to linking our research to real world conservation outcomes via meaningful engagement with local communities in the areas where we work. Incoming students are encouraged to participate in and contribute to this effort. Ability to speak Spanish or willingness to learn is also a plus. Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/engagement/overview/ for more information.

The Karubian lab is based at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University, in New Orleans LA. We have an outstanding and supportive group of students and faculty. Ph.D. students in good standing receive TA-ships that cover stipend and tuition costs during their time at Tulane. Competitive fellowships and in-house research support are also available.

The deadline for applying is January 15, 2017. Please see http://www2.tulane.edu/sse/eebio/academics/graduate/apply.cfm for more information. Prior to applying, interested students should contact Dr. Jordan Karubian (jk@tulane.edu) with a statement of interest and CV. Students from Latin America and from under-represented groups in ecology and evolution are particularly encouraged to apply.