A highly motivated PhD student who is enthusiastic about working in an inter-disciplinary environment. The studentship is a part of a research consortium that aims at integrating evolutionary genetics, ecological modelling and environmental sociology to understand the external drivers of life history changes in a heavily fished Atlantic salmon population complex and to advance sustainable use of these aquatic natural resources. This project has been recently funded as a part of the Finnish Academy Arctic Research program.
University of Turku - the campus that never sleeps
The Teno River, located in northernmost Europe, supports one of the largest and most biodiverse naturally reproducing stocks of Atlantic salmon in the world. The Teno salmon monitoring programme, that has been running for 40+ years and involves close co-operation between scientific research and local fishers, provides multiple sources of data for this project. In addition to long-term catch data, it includes an archive of over 100,000 scale samples, containing information on, for example, life history strategies and growth rates of the Teno salmon across four decades. These samples also provide a source of DNA for genetic monitoring and linking genotype and phenotype.
Statistical inference in the project will focus on several particularly intensively monitored populations within the Teno population complex, and aim at broadening the understanding of the overall population dynamics of Teno salmon. Genomic research will focus on understanding the genetic basis of life history traits studied in the ecological modelling component e.g. age-at-maturity and repeat spawning.
The PhD student is expected to contribute both to the genomic and ecological data analyses, and therefore enthusiasm for, and experience with, population genetics and/or ecological modelling is desired. A strong background in mathematics, (Bayesian) statistics, bioinformatics or genomics is an advantage. Depending on the interests of the student, there are possibilities to work in the genetics lab and/or participate in fieldwork on the Teno River.
Informal inquires and applications (as a single pdf file) should be addressed to Prof. Craig Primmer ([email protected]). Applications should include a CV (with names and contact details of at least two referees), and a max. 2 page letter of motivation. Undergraduate students who are yet to graduate should also include a letter from a faculty member indicating an estimated graduation date.
Review of applications will commence on Feb 28 with the preferred starting date being June 2015.The position is available until (and therefore expected graduation date is) the end of 2018. The starting salary is 2171 EUR per month.
The supervisors of the project are Craig Primmer, University of Turku(http://users.utu.fi/primmer/),Jaakko Erkinaro and Henni Pulkkinen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (www.luke.fi). The student can be based at either of the supervisors’ departments in Turku or Oulu, but will be required to spend extended periods in both locations.
A highly motivated PhD student who is enthusiastic about working in an inter-disciplinary environment. The studentship is a part of a research consortium that aims at integrating evolutionary genetics, ecological modelling and environmental sociology to understand the external drivers of life history changes in a heavily fished Atlantic salmon population complex and to advance sustainable use of these aquatic natural resources. This project has been recently funded as a part of the Finnish Academy Arctic Research program.
