Prospective Graduate Students

I am seeking highly motivated students interested in pursuing graduate study at either the MSc or Phd level in molecular ecology, conservation genetics or ecological genomics to join my research group in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta (http://www.biology.ualberta.ca) to start in Sept 2017. The Department of Biological Sciences offers a vibrant research environment and outstanding research infrastructure including next-generation sequencing platforms http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/. All students admitted to our graduate program have secured financial support for the first 2 years of a M.Sc. program and the first 5 years of a Ph.D. program, at the minimum rate of approximately $24,000 (M.Sc.) and $24,500 (Ph.D.) CDN per year, subject to annual review of academic and teaching performance.

Projects

Research projects in my group involve the development and application of molecular markers to study a range of topics in the ecology and evolution of wildlife species (https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=3L1oVhgAAAAJ&hl=en). Projects often involve close collaboration with field biologists and ecologists. Some potential topics include

- Genomic analysis of fitness-related traits in bighorn sheep
- Genomic resource development in mountain goats
- Condition dependence of gastrointestinal parasite tolerance in bighorn sheep

- Hybridization dynamics in Alberta white-tailed and mule deer

I am also open to ideas and encourage potential applicants to contact me directly to discuss their interests and suitability.

Application requirements

I am looking for students who have a strong demonstrated background (BSc or equivalent with minimum GPA 3.3 on a 4-point scale) in ecology and evolution, molecular biology or bioinformatics. Experience in the field research and/or with molecular techniques is preferred, and both numeracy and proficiency in English are required.

See details here https://www.ualberta.ca/biological-sciences/graduate-studies.

Contact details

Dr. David W. Coltman (dcoltman@ualberta.ca)

Professor

Department of Biological Sciences

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta

Canada

T6G 2E9