Interested in joining the lab?

The Sweet Lab at Arkansas State University is recruiting a PhD student to work on an NSF-funded project that seeks to understand the evolution of fragmented mitochondrial genomes in parasitic lice. The student will use molecular and bioinformatic approaches to address hypotheses related to genomic evolution, mito-nuclear coevolution, and phylogenetics. The student will also be part of a collaborative team that includes researchers from Arkansas State, the University of Illinois, and Purdue University. Funding is available in the form of a Research Assistantship for at least two years and Teaching Assistantships for the remaining time in the program.

 

Arkansas State offers a Ph.D. program in Molecular Biosciences (https://www.astate.edu/college/sciences-and-mathematics/doctoral-programs/molecular-biosciences/). Applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. are also eligible to apply to be funded as a trainee in the UandI-DEECoDE program, which provides access to funds for travel and a one-year stipend. UandI-DEECoDE (pronounced “You and I decode”), which stands for Understanding Invasion and Disease Ecology and Evolution through Computational Data Education, is a research traineeship that aims to address the absence of interdisciplinarity across invasion biology, disease ecology, and data science by effectively bridging these disciplines and improving the pace and magnitude of scientific discovery across these fields (https://www.astate.edu/uandideecode).

 

Qualifications: Applicants should have a B.S. degree in biology, bioinformatics, evolutionary biology, or a related field. Competitive applicants will also have experience with a programming language (Python, Perl, R, etc.), bioinformatics (phylogenetics, molecular evolution, etc.), and/or basic molecular lab skills (DNA extractions, PCR, etc.). An M.S. in evolutionary biology, bioinformatics, or a related field is preferred but not required. GRE scores are preferred, but not absolutely required for admission into the graduate program.

 

Application: To apply, please send the following materials to Dr. Drew Sweet (asweet@astate.edu) with the subject line “PhD application”: 1) a one-page cover letter detailing your interest in the position, 2) CV, 3) unofficial transcripts, 4) a writing sample (if possible), and 5) contact information for three professional references.

 

Deadline: January 1, 2025

 

Please send any questions about the position to asweet@astate.edu.