Developing Genetic Tools to Study Diets of Arctic Seabirds- Graduate Research Position Available

Position: We are seeking a graduate student (MSc) to lead a fully funded project developing methods to monitor changes in seabird diets using DNA meta-barcoding.

Project Goal: This project will develop minimally invasive methods to monitor changes in seabird diets and shifts in Arctic marine prey communities. The student will develop and validate DNA metabarcoding methods to amplify marine fish and invertebrate prey DNA from oral swabs and fecal samples of thick-billed murres. A combination of experiments using samples from marine prey species, captive-reared seabirds, and wild seabirds will be used to evaluate the ability of metabarcoding to accurately reflect prey community composition. All captive and field samples have already been collected to support this project; however, there is the possibility of Arctic field work if a candidate is interested and qualified.

Start Date: Lab work can begin as early as late May 2024 (via contracted work), with the graduate student’s thesis officially beginning in September 2024.

Funding: This is a fully funded position, with all research, travel and personal stipend costs fully covered.

Supervision and Collaboration: Supervised by Dr. Oliver Love (Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor) and co-supervised by collaborator and conservation geneticist Dr. Daniel Heath (Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor). The project is also supported by partnerships with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Skills and Experience: Ideally previous genetics lab research experience and a strong interest in Arctic marine ecosystems, with analytical/writing experience via an honours BSc degree.

Approach: Our labs pride themselves on taking a supportive and positive approach to student mentorship and training. Our goal is to provide equitable, diverse and inclusive training environments that inspire and support enthusiastic scientists to explore and conserve the world.

Environment: The University of Windsor has very strong Ecology and Evolution research groups, as well as diverse teams studying Arctic ecology and applying genetics, transcriptomic and genomic tools to aquatic ecosystems. The Department of Integrative Biology places a strong emphasis on high quality graduate training and graduate research support, with large cohorts of diverse, interesting, high-achieving and yet balanced graduate students.

Application: Please send CV/resume, undergraduate/graduate transcripts and a statement of research interest to Dr. Oliver Love (olove@uwindsor.ca). All inquiries will be responded to, and candidates will first meet with Drs. Love and Heath via video-conferencing to discuss the project and ask any questions, and then with our lab members without supervisors present.