Two PhD positions are available in the Olson Lab at Texas Tech University starting in the summer or fall of 2018. Our lab works on ecological genomics of plants, with a focus on local adaptation, speciation, and the evolution of breeding systems. Students interested in any of these topics are welcome to apply. Our current funding supports research to study the ecological and genetic factors influencing sex chromosome evolution within the Salicaceae (poplars and willows). The overall project focuses on mapping sex determination regions from representatives throughout the family, understanding the genetic basis of gender dimorphism in defense and pollinator attraction chemistry, and the assessment of population genetic patterns across the sex determination and pseudo-autosomal regions of the sex chromosomes. The grant provides for a unique international multi-institutional training environment, with potential for funding to visit labs at the University of West Virginia, the University of Wisconsin, Cornell University, and Sichuan University and Nanjing Forestry University in China for cross-disciplinary training. Students will be funded through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistant ships, and perhaps scholarships. Please contact Matt Olson directly at matt.olson@ttu.edu for more information regarding opportunities and application information.

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