Owing to delays in posting updates, status of positions indicated below may not be current; Please contact the person indicated for the latest information.
Three P.I.'s, Petra Lenz , Ann Castelfranco and Dan Hartline , form a collaborative research group with position opportunities in three areas, Myelin Evolution, Copepod Neuroethology and population dynamics, and Computational Neuroscience (see links for details on research). Certain positions (e.g. student trainee) are area-specific, while others may involve work in two or more areas. Interdisciplinary work bridging areas is also possible. As with much federally-funded basic research, long-term employment cannot (unfortunately) be guaranteed. Positions are funded through the periodic competitive research grant application process. Only positions that are supported by current grants or would become reality were a pending proposal funded are listed below. We welcome inquiries regarding opportunities to develop additional collaborative funding proposals for work in our areas of interest.
For positions that are vacant pending award of a grant, email the contact person indicated for current information on award status.
Project: Development of myelin in crustacean nervous systems
Status (10/07): Occupied until December, 2011; new recruitment possible summer 2011
Description: This is a microscopist position for one skilled in all phases of transmission electron microscopy and preferably confocal microscopy as well. It involves work at the UH Biological Electron Microscopy Facility . Techniques involve fixing, sectioning and photographing material from invertebrate nervous systems, including cryofixation and immunohistochemical techniques. Maintenance of an extensive relational digital image database is included. Research questions focus on elucidating the structural underpinnings of development of myelin the crustaceran nervous systems (copepod; malacostracan) and the occurrence of myelin among invertebrate taxa (see web postings for information on the scope of the research).
Contact: Dan Hartline
General information: Our research projects cover a range of issues involving the relation between neural mechanisms, behavior and ecology of marine crustaceans, especially calanoid copepods. We work on both warm-water species in Hawaii and cold water species in summer work at the Mt. Desert Island Biological Lab in Maine. Approaches include electrophysiological, behavioral (high-speed video), morphological (EM; immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy) and molecular techniques applied to issues of predator-prey interactions. .
Mechanics: We accept graduate students through the Graduate Program of the Department of Zoology. Support on TAships is available (competitively) for incoming Zoology students. Grant support for students working on thesis research needs to be arranged in advance, and inquiry should be made about future prospects when you contact the lab. The Zoology Department grants both Masters and PhD degrees. Application deadline is December 15 of each year (click for application information). Alternatively, students with more cellular or molecular interests may be accepted through the Cell & Molecular Biology graduate program. Postdocs may be supported on stipends, if available, but they are strongly encouraged to submit applications for their own support in collaboration with one of the faculty here.
Contact: Petra Lenz for general inquiries.
SPECIFIC PROJECTS
Project: Development of copepod escape reactions
Status (03/06): no additional identified positions open, but inquiries welcome
Description: This project focuses on escape behavior in developmental stages of calanoid copepods and its relation to development of the nervous system. Current emphasis is on the behavioiral responses to natural predators monitored in 3D with a state-of-the art laser-based imaging system (a collaboration with J. Rudi Strickler of the Universtiy of Wisconsin and Ed Buskey of University of Texas, Austin (Port Aransas)
Contact: Petra Lenz.
Status (2011-01 - copepod project): Most summers we sponsor one or more undergraduates from universities nationwide through the REU-site at the Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Maine. REU applications will be accepted December and January for work the following summer. Additional students may be funded if grant support is available (non-REU slots may sometimes open once REU slots are full). See below or support information.
Description: REU site research projects will focus on one of the following areas:
Support: Summer 2008 support for undergraduate research will be through NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the REU site located at MDIBL. Interested candidates for 2008 should contact us and plan to apply directly to the MDIBL program , indicating interest in our work. MDIBL deadline will be in January, 2008. For other projects involving NSF support (e.g. REU supplements) inquiries must be received by the end of January each year for work in the summer or later in the same year (owing to NSF funding cycles). Both intensive summer projects (at MDIBL) and part-time academic-year projects, including honors thesis projects (at UH) are possible.
Foreign students: We are open to applications from students in study-abroad programs. Visas and financial support are always an issue, but these problems vary on an individual basis. We have had some success with such programs, but the initial arrangements must usually be made by the student. An EXCELLENT command of written and spoken English is highly desirable.
Contact: Petra Lenz.
We accept well-qualified high-school students to undertake special projects in our area of expertise, for example related to the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair. Prospective students need to present a well-organized plan for the research they would conduct in the lab, including what sort of problem(s) they would like to pursue, how they would go about it and how much time they have to spend on it. Projects should start no later than early fall for March State Science Fair presentations (school and regional fairs are usually January/February).
Contact: Dan Hartline
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