Ph.D. Opportunities in Evolutionary Ecology & Physiology at the University of Michigan

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I am looking for Ph.D. students to join my newly formed research group in Fall 2015 in the Department of Psychology (Biopsychology Program Area) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Official start dates for these positions would be August 2015 or August 2016 but preliminary field or lab work could start as early as Spring 2015.

My research group focuses on addressing questions at the interface of evolutionary ecology, behavior, and physiology in free-living mammalian species (see http://www-personal.umich.edu/~dantzer/). I am broadly interested in understanding how wild animals are affected by changes in their ecological or social environment and the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which they adjust themselves to these altered environments. We address these questions using long-term observational data as well as performing large-scale experiments in the field. We aim to couple this field research with detailed mechanistic work from hormones to genomes.

The exact objectives of the research projects are extremely flexible and will largely be determined by the student but I hope that they will overlap with the focus of my research group. I am particularly looking for students that are interested in blending field and laboratory research in free-living mammalian species and have previous experience carrying out field and/or lab research. Students that have an interest and experience in neuroscience or neurobiology are also encouraged to apply.

Ph.D. students that are admitted to the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan are fully funded for five years. This support package includes tuition (Fall & Winter), salary (including 4 years of summer salary), and medical/dental insurance (all year round including the summer). Two and half of the years are fully-funded research assistant positions (no teaching) whereas the other two and half years are funded by half-time teaching assistant positions. External or University fellowships can also reduce teaching responsibilities. Funds for research expenses will also be available. In addition to this great financial support package, Ann Arbor is a great place to live and work!

Applications to the Department of Psychology (http://goo.gl/Lxwdff) would be due by 1 December 2014 for the Fall 2015 start date. Admitted students would participate in the Biopsychology Program Area in the Department of Psychology (see graduate curriculum here: http://goo.gl/6Se3fc) but would also be able to take courses and participate informally in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eeb/).

If you are interested in applying for these Ph.D. positions, please send me an email (dan...@umich.edu) that contains your CV, GRE test scores (if available), and a brief description outlining your research interests and also why you would be interested in joining my research group. I will then respond outlining what you can expect from me as a supervisor as well as discuss possible research projects.