Doctoral position available in Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity in the Zoological Museum at the University of Zurich in Switzerland

The research group in Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity led by Professor Tony Wilson in the Zoological Museum (www.unizh.ch/zoolmus) is seeking a well-qualified and highly motivated doctoral candidate for a position at the University of Zurich. The position is for three years, beginning in November 2005 and with a salary of ca. 40,000 Swiss Francs. A Masters degree (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for acceptance into the Ph.D. program at the University of Z・ich.

Our group concentrates on the role of sexual selection and environmental variation in the speciation process. Integrating molecular phylogenetic, population genetic and functional genomic approaches, our work spans a broad temporal scale in an effort to derive testable hypotheses on the evolution of taxonomic diversity. Over the past several years, our research has concentrated on syngnathid fishes (seahorses and pipefish), a group of particular interest due to specialized morphological adaptations for male parental care and female-dominated competition for access to mates. Our work involves ongoing collaborations with researchers in America, Europe and Australia.

We have recently installed three 5000L climate-controlled aquarium facilities, offering unparalleled opportunities for common garden experiments and observations of mating behaviour under controlled conditions. Our state-of-the art laboratory facilities include a MJ Tetrad PCR machine and an ABI 3100 sequencer, with access to a high-throughput ABI 3730 48-capillary machine. In addition, our Functional Genomics center (www.fgcz.unizh.ch) offers extensive facilities for proteomics and bioinformatics. The University has recently upgraded its core bioinformatics facility, which now consists of two 4 processor Opteron Servers and an 8 TB file system capable of running all Unix-based bioinformatics and phylogenetics software packages.

The University is one of the top comprehensive institutions in Europe and the Zoological Museum is a center of excellence in behavioural ecology, population genetics and evolution. With a critical mass of researchers in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University and the neighbouring Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Zurich offers an exceptional academic environment for research and study.

Zurich is an international city of 350,000 located at the heart of Europe, with world-class facilities for sport, music and theatre. With its location at the head of Lake Zurich and its proximity to the Swiss Alps, there are incredible opportunities for sailing, skiing, hiking and mountaineering in the region. Zurich was recently ranked the top city in the world for quality of living.

Interested candidates should submit a Curriculum vitae and statement of research interests, along with a list of two references, by email or post to Rosemarie Keller, Institute Secretary (kellerro@zoolmus.unizh.ch) by September 15, 2005. Any questions on the position should be directed to Prof. Wilson (tony.wilson@zoolmus.unizh.ch).

Tony WilsonZoological MuseumUniversity of Z・ichWinterthurerstrasse 190CH 8057 Z・ichSwitzerlandTel: 41 44 635 4790Fax: 41 44 635 4780