The Ragland lab at the University of Colorado, Denver is seeking a PhD student to work on an NSF-funded project investigating the plasticity and evolution of transcriptional dynamics across variable environments. We welcome students who wish to develop new and original research questions within this general framework. There is also an important educational component to this work, and the selected student will work with our lab team to develop and deploy a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) with the express goal of increasing retention and breaking down barriers to further research experiences of underrepresented groups.
Current research in the lab also includes the genomic architecture of rapid adaptation, effects of changing environments on population seasonality and dynamics, and the developmental regulation of suspended animation during dormancy. Various current and past student projects have included field ecology, population genomics, and developmental transcriptomics. For more information please visit our webpage: https://raglandlab.wordpress.com
Ideally, applicants will have a solid background in either evolutionary biology, genetics, or comparative/ecological physiology, and be willing to learn new skills or hone existing skills in in one or both of two areas: 1) bioinformatic and statistical analysis of ‘omics data sets, and 2) wet lab molecular biology (including NGS library preparation) or fly developmental biology (including microdissection, confocal microscopy, etc.). Strong scientific curiosity and a collaborative mindset are a must. Competitive stipends will support students with a combination of teaching and research assistantships.
The Ragland lab is housed in the Department of Integrative Biology on the downtown CU Denver campus. As the name suggests, our department has a broad range of interests, with strengths in developmental genetics, ecology, computational biology, and comparative physiology. The Ragland lab is a friendly and diverse group, with interests spanning the realms of evolutionary genetics and comparative physiology. We ask questions that cross biological disciplines and collaborate broadly to tackle these questions from multiple angles. We encourage a welcoming and inclusive environment and like to mix in some play with work, taking advantage of the world class outdoor opportunities on the Front Range and the fantastic city amenities in Denver. There will also be opportunities to interact with students, postdocs, and faculty at the CU Denver medical campus and other nearby universities in the Rocky Mountain region.
The deadline for applications to the PhD program at CU Denver is 1 December. See the following website for program details:
https://clas.ucdenver.edu/integrative-biology/academics/graduate-programs
Please make initial contact with Greg Ragland at gregory.ragland@ucdenver.edu to discuss possible positions. Including a CV and a cover letter addressing your research and educational background and career goals will help to get the conversation started.
