The Shefferson lab at the University of Tokyo is recruiting graduate
students at both the MS and PhD levels with interests in plant evolutionary
ecology, for entry into the Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences
(GPES, online at http://gpes.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/) in Sept 2018. We specialize
in evolutionary demography and plant/microbial evolution, with particular
interests in rapid evolution and eco-evolutionary dynamics. We are
particularly hoping to recruit students to work on the following funded
research projects:
1) *Deep demography*: Demographic patterns are strongly influenced by
both evolutionary history and geography, but a mechanistic understanding of
these relationships is still lacking. We hope to unravel it using a number
of large-scale projects focused on herbaceous perennial plant species.
2) *Evolutionary origins of plant-microbial symbiosis*: We seek to
understand the first steps in the evolutionary process leading to the
development of widespread symbioses, such as the mycorrhiza.
3) *Eco-evolutionary impacts of individual history*: We hope to
understand how long-term experience influences evolutionary processes,
particularly at the micro-evolutionary scale.
In addition to these projects, we seek students generally interested in the
following topics:
1) Micro-evolutionary interactions between symbiosis and population
dynamics, with a focus on the mycorrhiza.
2) The micro- and macro-evolution of senescence-related life history
patterns and life history costs, with a focus on herbaceous plants and
terrestrial fungi.
3) Interactions between community structure and phylogeny at differing
timescales, with a focus on the mycorrhiza.
4) Eco-evolutionary impacts of conservation problems and associated
management.
Students applying to work in the lab may focus on these topics, or choose
other research themes in plant and microbial evolutionary ecology. Research
methods typically involve *in situ* monitoring and experimentation,
combined with modeling and analysis based in R and/or C++. We typically
work with plants and their symbiotic microbes, and students should
generally be interested in these study organisms. The Shefferson lab has
active field sites in the Japan, USA, and Estonia, and also regularly
conducts field work in China, Central America, and Western and Central
Europe.
The Shefferson lab is located within the University of Tokyo, Komaba
Campus. U Tokyo is home to some of the finest scientists in Japan,
including ecologists and evolutionary biologists, and more Nobel laureates
than you can shake a stick at. Komaba in particular has a particularly
large community of ecologists and evolutionary biologists working on
plants, animals, and fungi. The GPES program conducts all graduate
education in English, although students have the opportunity to learn
Japanese and take courses from throughout the U Tokyo curriculum. Our
campus is only 15 minutes=E2=80=99 walk from Shibuya, one of the most vibrant parts
of Tokyo.
Applications to join the lab MUST be received by *24 November 2017*, and
students MUST INCLUDE a current, official GRE transcript. Please note that
GRE scores are only valid for 5 years, so students with transcripts older
than this need to re-take the GRE. Applicants with high scores, high
grades, and strong recommendations will be considered for a competitive,
full-ride scholarship.
If interested, please contact me at, and please also explore the Shefferson
lab website:
E-mail=EF=BC=9Acdorm@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
HTML: www.sheffersonlab.com