PhD opportunities – behavioral ecology and tropical biology
Ph.D. opportunities in the Karubian Lab
The Karubian Lab (http://karubian.tulane.edu) is seeking applications
to begin Ph.D. studies in Fall 2018.
The Karubian lab is based at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology at Tulane University, in New Orleans LA. We have an
accomplished group of students, and take pride in the supportive and
diverse environment our lab and department provide. Students receive
TA-ships that cover stipend and tuition costs during their time at
Tulane, and several students have received competitive National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships and other sources of external
support.
The Karubian lab has a strong commitment to linking research to real
world conservation outcomes via meaningful engagement with local
communities in the areas where we work. Both these projects have
important links to contemporary social issues, and incoming students
are encouraged to participate in and contribute to these efforts.
Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/engagement/overview/ for more
information.
The Karubian lab is committed to increasing diversity in STEM. Students
from Latin America and other groups that are traditionally
under-represented in ecology and evolution are particularly encouraged
to apply.
Prospective applicants should contact Dr. Jordan Karubian
(jk@tulane.edu) with a statement of interest and CV.
We are currently recruiting two students, one for each of following
projects:
(1) Evolutionary ecology and conservation of South American palms.
The over-arching goal of this project is to better understand the
forces that regulate distributions and diversity of palms. This student
will develop independent research that combines fieldwork on ecological
processes in tropical rainforest (e.g., dispersal, competition,
survival) with laboratory-based genetic approaches (e.g., population
genetics / genomics, transcriptomics). Students will build upon
previous and ongoing NSF-funded work 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/research/plant-animal-interactions/ for more
information.
(2) Behavioral ecology and effects of lead exposure on Mockingbirds
This student will develop independent research in New Orleans to
investigate how exposure to lead, a common contaminant in urban
environments, impacts health and behavior of the northern mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos. Our pilot work suggests that lead levels in
mockingbird adults may be associated with increases in aggressive
behavior. The student working on this project will characterize
pathways of lead uptake; relate exposure to physiological condition,
cognition, aggressive behavior and reproductive success; and explore
the mechanistic (genomic and endocrine) underpinnings of these effects.
Please see http://karubian.tulane.edu/research/gulf-coast-ecology/ for
more information.
Ryan Duncan, MBA, MAR
Program Coordinator
Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Tulane University
434 Lindy Boggs Center
New Orleans, LA 70118
Phone (504) 862-8298
FAX (504) 862-8706
Email cduncan8@tulane.edu
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