A PhD position is available in the laboratory of N¨¦va P. Meyer at Clark
University in Worcester, MA USA (https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.clarku.edu%2Fnmeyer%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cpamela.diggle%40uconn.edu%7C8d54149635f34b444c9b08d6ea4b4557%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C636954006350704460&sdata=Ihra77UwNEvqCyJg%2FrShlkopWIffD%2BMP8nm18kCcGq0%3D&reserved=0)
beginning as early as August 2019 as follows:

Spiralians are a great group of animals to study evolution of body plans
in part because many spiralian taxa develop via a stereotypic and likely
ancestral cleavage program. Ultimately, this cleavage program results
in formation of highly diverse body plans with diverse arrangements of
nervous systems, e.g. compare annelids and gastropod mollusks. Research in
Dr. Meyer¡¯s lab is currently focused on understanding how the central
nervous system develops in annelids with the goal of gaining a better
understanding of how nervous systems evolved. The research community
that studies evolution and development of spiralians is rapidly growing
and is very welcoming and collaborative.

The successful applicant will develop a project focused on molecular
control of neural fate specification inthe annelid Capitella teleta, but
this can be expanded to include other spiralians and different avenues
ofresearch depending on the applicant¡¯s interests and goals. Possible
avenues of research include analysisof fate specification via blastomere
isolation, genetic manipulation, and transcriptomic profiling. We havea
lab colony of Capitella teleta, and techniques used in the lab include
microinjection of embryos, qRTPCR, immunohistochemistry, imaging of live
and fixed tissue, quantification of phenotypes using ImageJ,and gene
knockdown and misexpression by injection of morpholinos and mRNA. We
are also currentlydeveloping CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and single-cell
RNA sequencing in C. teleta. There will be multipleopportunities for
career development, including mentoring undergraduate and accelerated
M.S. studentsin the lab, participating as a guest lecturer in courses
taught by the PI, and attending national workshopssuch as the Embryology
course at the Marine Biological Laboratories.

The successful applicant will enter Clark University’s Biology PhD program
with an anticipated start date in late August. Previous experience in
molecular biology and working with marine larvae and/orbioinformatics
is desirable. Additionally, the Meyer lab is interested in creative,
engaged applicants whocan contribute to diversity of the academic
community, for example via outreach or mentoring studentsfrom historically
underrepresented communities. The successful applicant will be guaranteed
funding forfive years through a combination of research assistantships
and teaching assistantships; two years ofresearch assistantship for this
position are currently available.

Clark University is a small but active and highly-respected research
university located in Worcester, MA.Worcester has a good combination
of urban and outdoor activities and is in close proximity to a variety
ofNew England destinations.

Please email a cover letter explaining your interest in the position
and qualifications and a CV to nmeyer@clarku.edu

Nicole Webster <NWebster@clarku.edu>