Hi,
I got this message and pass to those who might have interest.
Jing Hua Zhao
ONE YEAR INTERNSHIP IN
GENETICS AND COMPUTER MODELING
The Southwest Fisheries Science Center, located in San Diego, CA, USA, is
accepting applications for a one-year internship in conservation genetics
modeling. We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic person interested in
gaining valuable career experience while contributing to an international
research project of immediate relevance to applied conservation genetics.
The intern would join an international team of scientists working on the
Testing of Spatial Structure Methods (TOSSM) project, a long-term research
project aimed at testing the performance of different analytical methods of
detecting population structure from genetic data. An adequate understanding of
population structure is frequently a crucial element in enabling informed
conservation and management decisions. Advancing our ability to detect
population structure using genetic data has been identified as a research
priority for both the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling
Commission (IWC SC) and the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Though a number of analytical techniques are available that use genetic data to
address population structure questions, none have been thoroughly tested to
quantify their performance in a conservation and management context. To
address this lack of reliable performance tests, NMFS and the IWC SC jointly
initiated the TOSSM project, the purpose of which is to design and conduct a
large, iterative performance-testing study.
The TOSSM project is currently in its third year. Our focus now is on data
management and analysis. The intern’s duties will include:
• Managing a large dataset, including basic database development
• Creating and maintaining a website for the TOSSM project
• Completing, documenting, and submitting an R package containing the
project code
• Writing analytical programs in the language R
• Analyzing genetic data and interpreting results
• Assisting in manuscript preparation
The successful applicant will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in computer
science, biology, or other relevant field. Applicants must have computer
programming experience, preferably in the programming language R. Experience
writing R packages is highly desirable. Applicants should also have an
understanding of population genetics, strong organizational and writing skills,
and an ability to work independently. Though experience in both computer
programming and population genetics/dynamics is desirable, we will place
greater emphasis on computer skills when evaluating applications.
Application deadline: December 15, 2006
Start date: Preferred start date is January 22, 2007, though alternative start
dates will be considered
To apply, please send a cover letter describing your qualifications, a resume,
and a list of three professional references (phone numbers and e-mail contacts)
to:
Dr. Karen Martien
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
National Marine Fisheries Service
8604 La Jolla Shores Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
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858-546-7058
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