Join us!
Two new positions are open
1) Postdoctoral Associate Position (USDA-NIFA Funded)
If you get excited about insects, immunity, and asking ecological questions that actually matter for conservation, this might be a great fit for you.
What is the project about? You will be working on immune priming and disease dynamics in bumble bees. The big picture is: How do we make pollinators healthier and more resilient to disease?
The work sits right at the intersection of insect immunology, pollinator biology, and conservation ecology. You will combine lab experiments, colony-level work, and ecological thinking to understand how immune priming shapes pathogen resistance, immune function, and overall colony performance.
What will you actually do? You will design and run experiments on immune priming in bumble bees, measure immune responses, pathogen resistance, and colony outcomes, explore how nutrition interacts with immunity, and analyze data and publish your work.
You will also collaborate with fantastic colleagues at Colorado State University (John Mola, Ruth Hufbauer, Ian Pearse), which means some travel and lots of good science conversations.
Beyond research, You will mentor undergraduate and graduate students, be part of an active, collaborative lab environment, attend seminars, workshops, and conferences, and grow as a scientist.
Who should apply? You should have a PhD in entomology, ecology, evolution, immunology, or a related field, and experience in at least one of insect ecology, insect immunology, and pollinator biology
If you have worked with bees or social insects and have done immune assays or pathogen experiments, even better. Most importantly, you should be curious, collaborative, and excited about connecting mechanisms with ecology.
More details here: https://jobs.apply.vt.edu/jobs/postdoctoral-associate-blacksburg-virginia-united-states-a7b61fc3-9839-48c2-8c02-b65c8ffa1797
2) PhD position
I will be accepting one graduate student to explore how plant defense metabolites shape herbivore immune expression within an eco-evolutionary framework. Students with a strong background in evolution, physiology, and/or immunology are especially encouraged to apply. Please reach out with your CV and a one-page research statement.
Beyond these opportunities, I am always open to hearing about the research interests of prospective graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Motivated individuals are welcome to email me a brief statement of research interests along with a CV or résumé, and I am happy to work with applicants interested in pursuing external fellowships such as the USDA or the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Graduate students are admitted through the graduate program in Entomology at Virginia Tech in accordance with departmental and university admissions procedures. Undergraduate students interested in gaining research experience are encouraged to contact me at any time.
