Current openings:
Graduate student positions for 2020 have been filled.
I am looking for potential NSERC USRA students to join our field team in the Caribbean in summer 2020.
I am also taking 1-2 UNBSJ honours students for 2020-2021. These projects will be data-analysis oriented, with the opportunity to work on some amazing genomic data sets, so these projects are best-suited to students with a background in genetics and a genuine interest in working with big data!
General information about the lab:
Please read the Research page and a few recent Publications to get a sense for the types of projects we work on. Our research approaches are varied, but include field work, genetic lab work, and theoretical work. Undergraduates will likely focus on one of those approaches, while graduate students in my lab will undertake integrative work. I am excited to mentor creative and motivated students. We will work together to develop research and mentoring plans based on your goals and our shared research interests. I am also very supportive of maintaining a healthy work-life balance during graduate school and exploring diverse career options. Saint John is a wonderful place to live with great access to the outdoors (both terrestrial and marine!), a low cost of living, and all the perks of a small but vibrant port city. The Department of Biological Sciences at UNBSJ is a very productive and collaborative group with a strength in marine biology.
Undergraduate students:
Summer research opportunities will be offered annually, contingent upon funding availability (e.g. NSERC USRAs). Independent research supervision is available through an independent study or our department's Honours Program (BIOL 4090). Please get in touch in the fall or early winter of your 3rd year if you are interested in doing an honours project in my lab.
Graduate students:
At UNBSJ, MSc and PhD students receive full salary support and stipend top-ups will be available to students with scholarships. All eligible students will be expected to apply for NSERC scholarships. There are also some internal UNB scholarships, and details can be found here.
Postdocs:
We do not currently have postdoc funding, but please get in touch if you'd like to discuss the possibility of working on a fellowship application together (e.g., NSERC-PDF, Banting, Liber Ero, Mitacs).
A note on scientific diving:
Scientific diving at UNB requires extensive training and is different from recreational certifications you may get at your local dive shops. Thus, it is only suitable for students who can commit several years to training and field work. I encourage all interested students to start by taking recreational SCUBA courses and gaining as much experience underwater as possible. You will need to take Open Water, Advanced, and preferably Rescue Diver courses before you can begin the process of scientific diving in my lab. Prospective graduate students should get in touch so that we can discuss whether you would like to incorporate diving into your research, and how we can help prepare you (note: it is not a requirement for all research projects in my lab). I am sensitive to the fact that early access to SCUBA training is not equitable. If you have always wanted to learn how to dive, but have not had the opportunity to learn, please still get in touch (especially if you are interested in marine molecular ecology!). Starting in Summer 2020, my lab will implement a pilot program to incorporate UNBSJ undergraduates into our field team.
Graduate student positions for 2020 have been filled.
I am looking for potential NSERC USRA students to join our field team in the Caribbean in summer 2020.
I am also taking 1-2 UNBSJ honours students for 2020-2021. These projects will be data-analysis oriented, with the opportunity to work on some amazing genomic data sets, so these projects are best-suited to students with a background in genetics and a genuine interest in working with big data!
General information about the lab:
Please read the Research page and a few recent Publications to get a sense for the types of projects we work on. Our research approaches are varied, but include field work, genetic lab work, and theoretical work. Undergraduates will likely focus on one of those approaches, while graduate students in my lab will undertake integrative work. I am excited to mentor creative and motivated students. We will work together to develop research and mentoring plans based on your goals and our shared research interests. I am also very supportive of maintaining a healthy work-life balance during graduate school and exploring diverse career options. Saint John is a wonderful place to live with great access to the outdoors (both terrestrial and marine!), a low cost of living, and all the perks of a small but vibrant port city. The Department of Biological Sciences at UNBSJ is a very productive and collaborative group with a strength in marine biology.
Undergraduate students:
Summer research opportunities will be offered annually, contingent upon funding availability (e.g. NSERC USRAs). Independent research supervision is available through an independent study or our department's Honours Program (BIOL 4090). Please get in touch in the fall or early winter of your 3rd year if you are interested in doing an honours project in my lab.
Graduate students:
At UNBSJ, MSc and PhD students receive full salary support and stipend top-ups will be available to students with scholarships. All eligible students will be expected to apply for NSERC scholarships. There are also some internal UNB scholarships, and details can be found here.
Postdocs:
We do not currently have postdoc funding, but please get in touch if you'd like to discuss the possibility of working on a fellowship application together (e.g., NSERC-PDF, Banting, Liber Ero, Mitacs).
A note on scientific diving:
Scientific diving at UNB requires extensive training and is different from recreational certifications you may get at your local dive shops. Thus, it is only suitable for students who can commit several years to training and field work. I encourage all interested students to start by taking recreational SCUBA courses and gaining as much experience underwater as possible. You will need to take Open Water, Advanced, and preferably Rescue Diver courses before you can begin the process of scientific diving in my lab. Prospective graduate students should get in touch so that we can discuss whether you would like to incorporate diving into your research, and how we can help prepare you (note: it is not a requirement for all research projects in my lab). I am sensitive to the fact that early access to SCUBA training is not equitable. If you have always wanted to learn how to dive, but have not had the opportunity to learn, please still get in touch (especially if you are interested in marine molecular ecology!). Starting in Summer 2020, my lab will implement a pilot program to incorporate UNBSJ undergraduates into our field team.