A fully funded 3-year PhD position available in
the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology at Liverpool John Moores
University, Liverpool, UK
Project Title: An integrative approach to
understanding conflict management in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher
Supervisory Team: Dr. Adam Reddon; Dr. Hazel Nichols; Dr. Will
Swaney
Deadline: August 10th, 2018
Project Description: This is a call for applications for
a three-year fully funded PhD studentship in the School of Natural Sciences and
Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.
Group
living provides substantial advantages but may also engender conflict over reproduction
or other resources. In order for groups to form and persist, animals must be
able to manage this conflict. Across species, complex sociality involves an
interplay between dominance hierarchies, aggression, submission, cooperation,
and kinship. Understanding these dynamics is a major focus in social behaviour
research. Much of the work done so far has examined primates and other mammals,
however, conducting carefully controlled experiments in these species is often
difficult. The cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher,
lives and breeds in highly complex permanent social groups. N. pulcher are
small bodied and can easily be housed in aquaria where these remarkable fish
will perform their full suite of social behaviour.
In order to
understand the expression of conflict management behaviour we must understand
both the functional significance of these actions and the mechanistic
substrates that underpin them. Oxytocin is well known for its role in mediating
social behaviour in mammalian species including primates, but evidence is
emerging that this function is deeply conserved across vertebrates, and that
its homologue isotocin regulates social behaviour in fishes. This PhD project
will examine the phenotypic expression of conflict management behaviours in N.
pulcher, the role of isotocin in modulating those behaviours, and the
importance of early life experiences in organising adult social behaviour and
its neurohormonal substrates.
We will
make use of a newly established breeding colony at LJMU. Social behaviours can
be scored within these groups using both live observations and high definition
video recordings. The specific details of the project are flexible and can be
developed in collaboration with the successful candidate to align with his or
her interests, skills and expertise. The project will be primarily laboratory
based, though some field work may also be possible.
Preferred
candidate characteristics include a keen interest in animal social behaviour;
experience studying behaviour in the laboratory and/or the field; experience
with neuroscience and/or molecular biology techniques (e.g., histology,
immunohistochemistry, qPCR); strong writing and analytical skills; knowledge of
experimental design and statistical analysis. Previous experience working with
fish is desirable but not essential. Full training will be provided, and the
successful candidate will benefit from the diverse expertise of the supervisory
team.
The
preferred start date for the successful candidate will be September 2018, but a
January 2019 start is also possible.
The scheme
is available to UK/European Union students with a Bachelors degree at 2:1 or
above in a relevant area, and good spoken and written English skills.
Applicants with Masters level qualifications are preferred. We expect to
interview applicants in Mid-August. If you require further information please
email Dr. Adam Reddon, a.r.reddon@ljmu.ac.uk
Funding Notes: The studentship is fully funded by LJMU.
Funding will consist of a stipend at UK Research Council rates (e.g. £14,777 in
year 1) and full tuition waiver for three years. Funding will be subject to
satisfactory progress. Only UK & EU citizens are eligible for this
studentship.
Application: Applicants should email a CV, cover letter
detailing their interest in and suitability for the project and contact details
of two referees to Dr. Adam Reddon (a.r.reddon@ljmu.ac.uk). Interviews will be
held in mid-August. For an informal discussion about this opportunity please
email Dr. Adam Reddon (a.r.reddon@ljmu.ac.uk) for more information.