Biology
Queen's UniversityAvailable Graduate Student Positions
Queen’s University is a leading research-intensive institution with a strong graduate program in biology. The Department of Biology provides a stimulating and dynamic research environment with an interactive and supportive atmosphere for graduate studies.
Below are listed some positions that are available in our department. This is by no means an exhaustive list so please explore the research programs of all of our faculty by visiting their individual web profiles. Up to $250 is available to help defray the travel cost of bringing potential graduate students to Queen's for an interview.
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Possible M.Sc. position in seabird genomics.
My research group studies mechanisms of population differentiation and speciation in vertebrates, primarily seabirds. For example, birds encounter few physical barriers to dispersal and so seem to defy the classical model of speciation. Can speciation happen despite gene flow? If so, how? Or can non-physical barriers to dispersal disrupt gene flow sufficiently to initiate speciation? Many of our projects have direct or indirect applications to conservation. (See http://post.queensu.ca/~birdpop/index.html). We are beginning to employ genomics methods to address these questions. Depending on the results of this year’s NSERC Discovery Grant Competition, I MAY have an opening for a new M.Sc. student in 2013. Several projects are possible, from the genomic basis of speciation by allochrony in storm-petrels, through the potential for adaptation to climate change in arctic seabirds, to conservation genetics of razorbills. Please email me for details: vlf at queensu.ca |
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Positions available for MSc and/or PhD students. I am seeking highly motivated, hard-working, and intellectually curious students to join my lab in the fall of 2013 to pursue graduate degrees under my supervision. Students will conduct independent projects within the broad scope of ongoing and planned research in my lab, including projects looking at the role of hormones in mediating life history tradeoffs, the influence of prior environmental conditions on future physiology, behavior, and life history, and/or the physiological and behavioral traits that underlie environmental tolerance, particularly in relation to adaptation to urban habitats. Interested students should contact me with a cover letter and statement of interests, a cv, and a transcript (unofficial is ok). Start date would be fall of 2013, although opportunities might be available to begin field work during the spring or summer. Fran Bonier email: bonierf@queensu.ca web site: http://post.queensu.ca/~bonierf/ |
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MSc position - Breeding phenology & climate change in temperate frogs.
Frogs are sensitive indicators of environmental change. For example, some frogs in northeastern North America have shifted onset of breeding markedly earlier over the last few decades, and the geographic ranges of many organisms are moving northward presumably in response to climate change. While these purported trends are remarkable, their accuracy depends largely on data that were not originally intended to address such questions. This new M.Sc. project will build on 5 yrs existing data and a previous graduate project, and will couple detailed calling data (using automated recorders) at sites within the Queen's University Biological Station and in situweather stations to evaluate potential climatic cues for onset and seasonal variation of frog male calling intensity. The project will be supervised by Stephen Lougheed (Biology, Queen's University) with Marc Mazerolle (Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue) as co-advisor. If interested please send a cv, cover letter and transcript to Stephen Lougheed. [Posted September 9, 2012; Expiration date: December 31, 2012] |
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PhD and MSc graduate positions in Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology Our lab is focused on understanding how terrestrial ecosystems function and why they are structured the way they are (http://post.queensu.ca/~groganp/). We investigate biogeochemical interactions between plants, herbivores, soil microbes, and soils that significantly affect ecosystem functioning. Right now, we are interested in gaining a better understanding of the controls on carbon and nutrient cycling and their interactions in arctic tundra, temperate grassland and forest ecosystems, and have experiments and collaborations across Canada as well as in Alaska and Scandinavia. The underlying rationale for our research is that an improved understanding of biogeochemical interactions is essential to predicting the impacts of perturbations such as changes in climate and land-use management, and therefore to developing appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Here are just two of many questions that I would be interesting in developing with new graduate students: How do the differences between nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemistry influence our understanding of low arctic tundra ecosystems, and how they will be affected by climate change? How will melting permafrost alter vegetation structure and biogeochemical cycling in low arctic tundra ecosystems? Applicants should e-mail me (groganp@queensu.ca) with a short CV and an insightful paragraph outlining specifics of how your research interests and experience would contribute to, and the kinds of questions you would like to address. [Posted 6 February 2012] |
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MSc and PhD in Plant Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Candidates at MSc and particularly PhD level having a strong interest in combining different tools of modern biology to address key questions on the organization and control of plant carbohydrate and phosphate metabolism are invited to apply for positions. Our research employs a variety of biochemical, proteomic, molecular biology, genomic, and cell biology ‘imaging’ tools to characterize the molecular and functional properties, protein:protein interactions, post-translational modifications, and intracellular location of key enzyme proteins. Systems that we are currently studying include developing and germinating castor oilseeds, and suspension cell cultures and seedlings of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Top-up funds are available for grad students holding a major external scholarship (e.g. NSERC-PGS). For more information please visit the Plaxton-lab web page at http://post.queensu.ca/~plaxton/ [Posted Feb. 6, 2012] |