Dear RCN folks,

 

I plan on recruiting 1-2 new Ph.D. students into my research group at the University of California Davis for next academic year (Fall 2022). 

 

If you are interested in studying how species adapt to human-altered environments, then read on…

 

We have a new grant funded by the NIEHS to explore the genetic changes that have enabled very rapid adaptive evolution to extreme environmental change. More specifically, we seek to further our understanding of the genetic basis of evolved pollution resistance in Atlantic killifish. Killifish are marine fish that are abundant in coastal estuaries. Over the span of just a few decades, populations in urban estuaries have evolved resistance to extreme pollution, and this resistance has evolved multiple times independently. This provides a naturally replicated model system for studying mechanisms that underlie rapid adaptation to human-altered environments.

 

Here are some of our recent publications on the subject:

Reid et al 2016

Whitehead et al 2017

Oziolor et al 2019

 

The core of the next phase of our research is to apply quantitative genetics to uncover the genetic underpinnings of variation in sensitivity of pollution-induced developmental deformities (e.g., embryonic cardiac deformities, etc). This work would be best suited for students interested in Genetics, Evolution, Ecotoxicology, and Ecophysiology. There is much opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at other universities (e.g., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) and government agencies (e.g., US EPA).

 

For students that are interested, please contact me directly, and include a statement of purpose (some sort of cover letter outlining your background, interests, and goals) and your CV.

 

UC Davis is a wonderful place to live and study. Candidate students have diverse options for programs through which they can enter – e.g., Ecology, Pharmacology/Toxicology, Population Biology, or Genetics graduate groups (deadlines for grad group applications are December 4^th 2021). I am committed to building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive research group.

 

Best wishes,

Andrew Whitehead

 

 

Andrew Whitehead, Ph.D.

Department of Environmental Toxicology

4121 Meyer Hall

University of California, Davis, CA 95616

530-754-8982

http://whiteheadresearch.wordpress.com/