MSc Opportunity: Fish Social Behaviour and Cognition

Project summary:

The Laberge and Robinson Labs at the University of Guelph are looking to co-supervise the research project of one highly motivated MSc candidate on the topic of social behaviour of pumpkinseed sunfish ecotypes. This project continues a successful collaboration that characterizes the biology of fish living in different habitats within the same lake.

Position summary:

You will be expected to conduct field work at a remote location (Ashby Lake, ON) during summer 2024. The research project may include field observations, short-term experiments at the field site, as well as bringing fish to the Hagen Aqualab (https://www.uoguelph.ca/ib/infrastructure_and_facilities/aqualab) for a longer-term experiment. Our general aim is to characterize social behaviour of pumpkinseed ecotypes in Ashby Lake to evaluate if divergent social environments can challenge cognition and contribute to differences in brain size between the ecotypes (see Axelrod et al. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1971).

How to apply:

Anyone wishing to apply should send a cover letter describing their academic background, any independent research project experiences, their short and mid-term goals and how graduate work advances these; an unofficial academic transcript; contact information of anyone that could provide a reference about skills and abilities for graduate work; and a writing sample that best displays their writing skills. The position is open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Further information on the graduate program and stipends for MSc students in the Department of Integrative Biology can be found at https://www.uoguelph.ca/ib/grad_program_overview.

Start date:

September 2023 or January 2024.

Contacts:

Fred Laberge: [email protected], Beren Robinson: [email protected]