dimanche 29 juillet 2018

Fully funded PhD in animal social behaviour

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.