Postdoctoral fellow in migratory behavior and physiology

[sue_bertram]

The Watts lab at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is looking to hire a postdoctoral fellow to participate in research investigating migratory behavior and physiology in the pine siskin, a nomadic and irruptive finch. The postdoc will be involved in an NSF-funded project focused on facultative migration, a taxonomically widespread but poorly understood form of migration. Specifically, the project seeks to understand the environmental cues that trigger facultative migration and the endocrine mechanisms that mediate the transition to a migratory state. The work will be primarily laboratory based, making use of experimental manipulations of captive birds, but some fieldwork will also be involved. The postdoc will also have the opportunity to develop related, independent avenues of research. Research in the Watts lab focuses broadly on how environmental variation shapes life history patterns and the endocrine mechanisms mediating these effects (see the lab website for more information: http://myweb.lmu.edu/hwatts/hwatts/Home.html).

The postdoc will be based in the Department of Biology at LMU, located on the west side of Los Angeles. LMU is a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI), and the grant funding this position incorporates training and experience in teaching and mentoring undergraduates into the postdoc’s activities. Therefore, the postdoc should have a genuine interest in developing a program that closely integrates research, undergraduate teaching, and student mentoring within the context of a PUI. Previous experience in animal behavior, endocrinology, and/or working with songbirds is desirable, but training will be provided as necessary. A high degree of motivation, the ability to produce peer-reviewed papers, and enthusiasm for working with undergraduate students will be beneficial. A Ph.D. in a relevant field is required. Support is currently available for up to 3 years; the contract is renewed annually based on performance.

Interested applicants should send the following to hwa...@lmu.edu<mailto:hwa...@lmu.edu> as a single PDF document: CV, a cover letter including a brief statement of research and teaching interests and career goals as they relate to this position, contact information for 3 references, and 1-2 representative publications. Please note our email system limits attachments to 10MB; let us know if you need to send a larger file. Screening will begin May 15th, 2015 and continue until a suitable applicant is found. The start date is flexible, but preferably in summer 2015.


Questions regarding the position can be directed to:
Heather Watts
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
Loyola Marymount University
1 LMU Drive, MS 8220
Los Angeles, CA 90045
1-310-258-2659
hwa...@lmu.edu