Conservation Genetics Jobs
Katja Gains
We provide U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff the support they need to integrate genetics into their management and conservation efforts. We work with internal and external partners to design and conduct genetic research and to provide expertise to address conservation and management issues in Alaska, including those on its 16 National Wildlife Refuges, and in other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions across the country. We also collaborate on a variety of issues with other conservation genetics programs within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fish Technology Center network and the Genetics Section of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory.
Based in Anchorage, geneticists at the Conservation Genetics Laboratory use sophisticated laboratory techniques to design and conduct research, and provide expertise to address conservation and management issues in Alaska. The lab provides services in Alaska and throughout the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service across the country, including Fish Technology Centers and the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory.
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for the highest quality research and education programs. We aim to be a global leader in the life sciences. Areas of particular strength include evolutionary biology, conservation biology and ecology, and genetics
of Biological Sciences has research strengths in three broad discipline areas:Ecology and ConservationEvolution in a Changing WorldGenetics, Genomics, and HealthThe School has a global network of
sciences and biology and has an enviable research track record. The School has broad expertise across marine biology, ecology, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, computational biology, plant and
Looking for up to 4 high-calibre researchers with an interest in Plant Genetics and Genomics focusing on plant-pathogen interactions and disease resistance genesMultiple Level A and B positions
conservation biology and ecology, evolutionary biology, as well as genetics and genomics.The successful candidate will take a lead role in the ecological restoration of Phillip Island, in the Norfolk Island
related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?NoOffer DescriptionLooking for up to 4 high-calibre researchers with an interest in Plant Genetics and Genomics focusing on plant-pathogen
reputation for producing high quality research outcomes in the area of plant evolutionary and conservation genetics.The goal of this project is to understand how genetic diversity and patterns of gene flow
Job (1) Spotted Turtle Conservation Genetics & Expanded Conservation Planning will expand and capitalize upon a recently funded Competitive State Wildlife Grant (CSWG) to develop a Conservation Plan for the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). Multiple state partners from across the range of this species will be conducting standardized population assessments from 2018 to 2020 as part of the 2017 CSWG award. RCN funding will be used to 1) expand the network of state partners and 2) undertake a genetics assessment which otherwise would have been cost-prohibitive because of the difficulty of collecting samples from such a large area. The region-wide genetics study will use microsatellite or comparable techniques to characterize the genetic structure, diversity, and relatedness of spotted turtle populations, and will inform the delineation of conservation management units. This will facilitate enforcement actions and guide assessments of priority populations. Specifically, RCN funds under this initiative will support (A) a one-year genetics postdoctoral study, with associated laboratory time and equipment; (B) supplies, equipment, and trainings for partners to collect blood samples during standardized sampling; (C) expanded participation in CSWG actions for additional states (NJ, MD, DE, WV, VT, and/or NY). Deliverables will include an expanded Conservation Plan (jointly funded with CSWG funds) and comprehensive genetics report and management plan.
Non-federal match totaling at least 35% of the total project budget will be provided by state and partners contracting with WMI, and may include volunteer population assessments and tissue collection, reduced rates on contractual services, and technical assistance to key landowners and agencies (including NRCS).
Over the past 20 years, genetics has emerged as a very important tool for conservation and it is now well established that it can be used to accomplish conservation-oriented goals. Nevertheless, there is a gap between genetic research outcomes and conservation management.
The aim of the CGWG is to promote the incorporation of genetic studies into the wider field of conservation and to improve the way results of genetic studies are communicated to the broader conservation audience, by:
USDA FS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS), at the University of Idaho, associated with the US Forestry Sciences Lab located in Missoula, Montana.
The student intern will be expected to collaborate well, interact with co-managers and stakeholders, conduct bioinformatic analyses, assist in any additional wet lab research, and derive their own hypotheses to test in this study.
Learning Objectives: As a result of this training, the intern will learn and improve on computational genetics and conservation genetics analyses. These skills will include, but not be limited to, learning to use statistical coding languages (R, bash), generate genetic pipelines for genotyping samples and working with diverse collaborators on conservation genetic research questions.
Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and foreign nationals. Non-U.S. citizen applicants should refer to the Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens Details page of the program website for information about the valid immigration statuses that are acceptable for program participation.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and USFS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, USDA FS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.U...@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
I knew I wanted to study genetics as early on as my high school days. Those were the beginning years of The Human Genome Project, so it was a big deal. Genetics was quickly coming to the forefront for medical applications, and I was really drawn to that. I considered both M.D.-Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs but decided to do the latter because I was really interested in the research side of working in gene therapy and applied genetics. Duke had a lot of excellent labs that suited those interests. During my first year in the program, I rotated in both clinical gene therapy-based labs and basic research labs. My graduate advisor at the time encouraged me to focus on a broad biology research focus to help me get a better foundation for a variety of different fields. That suggestion ended up being great advice, and I am glad I listened to it. My dissertation focused on genomic imprinting, a form of gene regulation directly implicated in several human disorders. I analyzed genes in both mice and humans to discover imprinted genes and performed phylogenetic sequence comparisons to look for regulatory regions that might impact genomic imprinting regulation.
I had not planned on working in the conservation genetics field. In fact, I was still planning on working in applied genetics and gene therapy after graduation. However, I also wanted to focus on taking care of my family since my children were very young at the time. I decided to stay at home for a few years to focus on them before resuming career-related activities. When I was ready to return to work, I wanted to ease back into the lab environment because I knew was out of practice. During this time, I looked around for part-time positions to practice benchwork before thinking about my next steps career-wise.
I started officially working at the museum and continued to learn about how genetics can be applied to wildlife management. After a few years of working with a principal investigator, I was offered a job doing contract work for various state agencies, which I did for about seven years. Then in 2020, NCWRC decided that they would like to have their own conservation geneticist, which is uncommon for state agencies in the southeast since they typically contract out their genetics work. They created a position for a Wildlife Resources Conservation Geneticist, I applied for it, and was hired.
If you are a graduate student studying genetics or biomedical science, I would recommend looking outside your home program to explore courses in the ecology program. Even if the courses are not related to genetics, it will be worth taking some applied ecology courses because you come into the class thinking about how ecological questions can be answered using genetics. Similarly, if you are an ecology student interested in conservation genetics, make sure you go and take some genetics classes! Find reviews, book chapters, and methodology papers that will acquaint you with the field. Do some reading outside what you have been assigned and about things you are interested in. Find conferences where you can hear about the types of conservation genetics work being done and talk with people in the field.
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