Graduate Student Positions - DFO Freshwater Institute

Contact:

Apply on-line at http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/rap-par/index-eng.htm or for more information, please contact Sharon Clouthier at DFO Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3T 2N6; Email Sharon.Clouthier@dfo-mpo.gc.ca; Telephone 204-984-5215.

Status:
CLOSED

We are accepting applications from students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. (1 position available) or Master’s (1 position available) degree in the field of viruses of lower vertebrates. The students will be located at the Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba and enrolled in the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Program at the University of Manitoba. Possible start date is September 2011 or earlier.

• The Ph.D. student’s project will involve metagenomics, disease ecology and epidemiology of viral diseases of endangered lake sturgeon in Canada.

• The Master’s student’s project will involve the application of Koch’s postulates and molecular diagnostic tool design and development for viral diseases of endangered lake sturgeon in Canada.

Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations in Manitoba were designated as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2006 and are currently being assessed for inclusion in Schedule 1 of Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Population enhancement through a sturgeon conservation stocking program is being considered as a supplementary measure to mitigate any further reduction in natural populations. To further these efforts we are investigating the effect(s) that infectious diseases might have on the recovery of threatened lake sturgeon populations. The students’ projects will be part of a larger research program that addresses existing knowledge and technological gaps in viral diseases of lake sturgeon.

The successful candidate must have graduated from an officially recognized university with either a B.Sc or M.Sc in an appropriate discipline i.e. molecular biology, virology, microbiology, genetics or biochemistry (Degree to be earned by June, 2011). The applicants must show evidence of excellent academic qualifications, strong written and verbal communication skills, high motivation and the ability to work both independently as well as part of a larger collaborative research team.