Are you interested in joining the lab?
As a member of the lab, you will have opportunities to gain experience in environmental physiology, functional genomics, and individual-based modeling. Research in the lab generally focuses on amphibians, birds, and small mammals, but we are question-based scientists and open to any system that helps us answer fundamental questions in ecology and evolution using physiological approaches.
We are committed to maintaining a supportive and inclusive environment in the Riddell Lab, and we strongly encourage anyone with the same commitments to apply to the program. We acknowledge that the academic community requires fundamental changes in our culture to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Our goal, as a lab and community, is to focus on the education and action required to be anti-racist through reflection on our biases and support of policies that translate into an anti-racist culture.
What will you learn?
My goal is to provide graduate students and postdocs with the skills they need to be competitive in any job market. Students will learn to code in a variety of languages (Python, R, bash) with a specific emphasis on learning to build individual-based models. We also use functional genomics to uncover the genetic mechanisms associated with physiological responses to the environment and flow-through respirometry to measure physiological traits, like metabolism and water loss rates, of whole organisms. All of these skills will directly benefit anyone interested in pursuing a career in science in the academic, private, or public sector.
What sort of projects are on the horizon?
We have a variety of exciting projects for graduate students and postdocs to pursue. These include physiological responses of birds and amphibians to global change, the ecology and evolution of tissue regeneration in salamanders, and conservation physiology of rare birds.
What is my advising philosophy?
Every lab member should leave with the ability to think as an independent scientist. I want to ensure that students and postdocs have the hard skills and theoretical framework to ask and answer fundamental questions in physiology, ecology, and evolution. I would describe my advising philosophy as having high accountability and high tolerance. I will provide clear expectations, while also understanding that mistakes and flexibility are critical for growth as an independent scientist. Healthy, consistent, and professional communication is a central pillar of the lab culture.
If you are interested...
We are not actively recruiting for graduate students or postdocs at the moment. But I always encourage folks to reach out to discuss opportunities, especially for funding through NSF. If you would like to apply to a PhD position, please send several documents that will help me understand your background and experience. Please inquire to [email protected] with (1) a cover letter that includes your name, research interests/statement of purpose, research experience, relevant background information (personality, motivation, undergraduate capstone project, etc.), GPA, and GRE test scores (GRE not required); (2) CV or resume; (3) unofficial transcripts; (4) any relevant publications. Please include contact information for three references in your e-mail to Dr. Eric Riddell. Be sure to indicate the specific taxa or question you would like to work on that relates to the research we do in the Ecophysiology Lab. Feel free to attach a sample of your writing.
We anticipate many opportunities in the near future, so it's never too early start communication. If any prospective students are interested in developing a proposal for the Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation or Postdoctoral Fellowship, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Eric Riddell ([email protected]) to inquire about how we can help.
As a member of the lab, you will have opportunities to gain experience in environmental physiology, functional genomics, and individual-based modeling. Research in the lab generally focuses on amphibians, birds, and small mammals, but we are question-based scientists and open to any system that helps us answer fundamental questions in ecology and evolution using physiological approaches.
We are committed to maintaining a supportive and inclusive environment in the Riddell Lab, and we strongly encourage anyone with the same commitments to apply to the program. We acknowledge that the academic community requires fundamental changes in our culture to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Our goal, as a lab and community, is to focus on the education and action required to be anti-racist through reflection on our biases and support of policies that translate into an anti-racist culture.
What will you learn?
My goal is to provide graduate students and postdocs with the skills they need to be competitive in any job market. Students will learn to code in a variety of languages (Python, R, bash) with a specific emphasis on learning to build individual-based models. We also use functional genomics to uncover the genetic mechanisms associated with physiological responses to the environment and flow-through respirometry to measure physiological traits, like metabolism and water loss rates, of whole organisms. All of these skills will directly benefit anyone interested in pursuing a career in science in the academic, private, or public sector.
What sort of projects are on the horizon?
We have a variety of exciting projects for graduate students and postdocs to pursue. These include physiological responses of birds and amphibians to global change, the ecology and evolution of tissue regeneration in salamanders, and conservation physiology of rare birds.
What is my advising philosophy?
Every lab member should leave with the ability to think as an independent scientist. I want to ensure that students and postdocs have the hard skills and theoretical framework to ask and answer fundamental questions in physiology, ecology, and evolution. I would describe my advising philosophy as having high accountability and high tolerance. I will provide clear expectations, while also understanding that mistakes and flexibility are critical for growth as an independent scientist. Healthy, consistent, and professional communication is a central pillar of the lab culture.
If you are interested...
We are not actively recruiting for graduate students or postdocs at the moment. But I always encourage folks to reach out to discuss opportunities, especially for funding through NSF. If you would like to apply to a PhD position, please send several documents that will help me understand your background and experience. Please inquire to [email protected] with (1) a cover letter that includes your name, research interests/statement of purpose, research experience, relevant background information (personality, motivation, undergraduate capstone project, etc.), GPA, and GRE test scores (GRE not required); (2) CV or resume; (3) unofficial transcripts; (4) any relevant publications. Please include contact information for three references in your e-mail to Dr. Eric Riddell. Be sure to indicate the specific taxa or question you would like to work on that relates to the research we do in the Ecophysiology Lab. Feel free to attach a sample of your writing.
We anticipate many opportunities in the near future, so it's never too early start communication. If any prospective students are interested in developing a proposal for the Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation or Postdoctoral Fellowship, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Eric Riddell ([email protected]) to inquire about how we can help.