Graduate students:

I am looking for creative, independent and motivated graduate students that are enthusiastic about using new technology and techniques to understand the mechanisms of animal behavior. I welcome students from diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to, neuroscience, physiology, mathematics, evolution, and engineering.

The University of Florida offers two different Ph.D. admissions paths- admission through the Biology Department (applications due December 15th) and the campus-wide Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences (applications due January 15th, December 1st for international applications). Contact me and we can figure out which option is best for you. Students will likely spend time on the Gainesville campus taking classes or rotating through labs before starting research at the Whitney Lab in St. Augustine.

Admission is influenced by the available space in the lab and grant funding to support new students. Because we are not located on the Gainesville campus, teaching assistantships are difficult at the Whitney Lab. Students are encouraged to apply for extramural fellowships such as the NSF Predoctoral Fellowship, NIH Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Dr. Nancy Foster Fellowship, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, and EPA STAR Fellowship before applying to UF. Funding is also available through university wide fellowships or through research assistantships, where students work on the faculty members' grant.

If you are interested in pursuing graduate study in my lab, please email me with:

Postdocs:

A position is open for a postdoc interested in zebrafish sensory neuroscience. The position will focus on characterizing the organization and function of lateral line afferent neurons in vivo using single-cell electroporation, patch-clamp recording, transgenic lines expressing fluorescent and photo-convertible proteins, and particle image velocimetry.

Related research in the lab centers on the biomechanics of swimming in turbulence, and there are many opportunities to link neurophysiological and biomechanical studies in intact, behaving animals. Our research environment is enhanced by neurophysiology faculty and core facilities at the Whitney Lab and on the Gainesville campus (McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Genetics Institute and the Biology Department).

This position offers a rare opportunity to explore the function of a tractable vertebrate hair cell circuit in a model genetic organism. Applicants should have a strong background or interest in electrophysiology. Expertise in molecular techniques and/or computer programming is desirable. This position comes with a competitive salary and benefits package and is funded for 2 years, with additional support expected. Start-date is negotiable, but January 2010 is preferred.

If you are interested in becoming a postdoc in my lab, please email me with:

Technicians:

I am looking for a technician with interest or expertise in biomechanics, computer programming, engineering, physiology, molecular neuroscience or neurophysiology. If interested, please email me.