Download this document for further details, eligibility criteria and how to apply. [PDF 89KB]
Applications are open for a 4 year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London, investigating infection tolerance.
In this project, you will contribute to a transformation in our understanding of meiofaunal biodiversity, gaining expertise in a rapidly developing ‘omics technology (Oxford Nanopore sequencing), high-throughput molecular sample preparation protocols and instrumentation, and state of the art data science and bioinformatics techniques.
At the NHM and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), you will develop bespoke bioinformatics tools to quality-control, assemble, and mine transcriptome skim data for phylogenetic markers and to iteratively build very large (100,000+ specimen) phylogenies. Additional goals include using these data to inform community composition and species interactions, and learning to complement transcriptome-skim datasets with metabarcoding-based methods. Depending on your interests, you will also have the opportunity in parallel to develop taxonomic expertise in a group of your choice.
The successful candidate will participate in exciting UK and overseas fieldwork (with 2025 trips planned in Norway, New Caledonia, and beyond) and in globally threatened habitats including temperate rainforests and marine seagrass meadows.
Find out more about the project on the Natural History Museum website.
Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.
Your time will be split between QMUL and the NHM.
At QMUL, you will join a dynamic and supportive team of collaborative researchers who enthusiastically enjoy life and doing impactful innovative science. Find out more on the Wurm Lab website.
In the Laumer group at NHM, you will be supported by a dedicated technician, and will benefit from interactions with other PhD and Masters students as well as collaborators and visitors from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Canada, and beyond.
You will develop and implement new approaches, receive training in molecular biology & genomics, animal collection, bioinformatics, data science, statistics, machine learning, software development.
We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project such as evolutionary ecology, systematics, taxonomy, molecular evolution, bioinformatics. Candidates must also have experience conducting research in a laboratory environment, whether dry or wet lab.
Knowledge of phylogenetics, python and R programming, and web development, would be highly advantageous but are not required.
Find out more about our entry requirements here.
The studentship is funded by the Royal Society and QMUL. It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 4 years at the UKRI rate (£20,622 in 2023/24).
Please find out more about funding and eligibility via Wurm_Laumer_SBBS NHM Joint Studentship Details [PDF 89KB]
Any further queries can be sent to the sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration.
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Prof. Yannick Wurm at y.wurm@qmul.ac.uk or Dr. Chris Laumer at christopher.laumer1@nhm.ac.uk
Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.
Further details can be downloaded here: Wurm_Laumer_SBBS NHM Joint Studentship Details [PDF 89KB]
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