Joining the Lab

If you think you might be interested in joining the lab please read the information below.

I advertise any open postdoctoral position with the Evolution Directory and the Animal Behavior Society Digest. If there is not a current advertisement with one of these sites it means I do not currently have an open postdoctoral position.

However, if your research interests fit well with research going on in the lab and you are interested in seeking your own funding for postdoctoral research in my lab please contact me by email.

I am mainly interested in having students join the lab that are also interested in the evolution of reproductive behavior, especially topics relating to sexual selection. Although you do not have to work on one of my study species, I do expect students in my research group to work independently and be self-motivated. I strongly encourage my students to combine theory and experiment. Ideally, students working in my lab will have a background in biology as well as some experience with mathematics, statistics and/or computer programming. I enjoy mentoring graduate and undergraduate students alike and see training young scientists as a rewarding component of being a research scientist. Graduate students must apply to (and be accepted by) the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program before they can join the lab.

Letter to potential graduate students

Undergraduate students

For Yale undergraduates there are a variety of ways that you can get involved in the lab. Students can help with ongoing research or develop an independent project related to work in the lab. Examples of research experience and projects include: Fieldwork on the tessellated darter or ocellated wrasse (Typically April-June in Corsica and Connecticut), theoretical research (which can be done anywhere and anytime) and laboratory analyses (especially paternity and gene expression).

The best way to get started is to first take EEB240: Animal Behavior. This gives you a background in the topics we study in the lab and is the best way to get involved.

Second, there are often volunteer opportunities helping with current research projects.

Finally, it is possible to conduct your own research as a senior thesis or independent study project. However, it is very important to realize that in order to do an empirical project you will need to start January of your junior year which means you need to be in contact early in the fall semester of your junior year if not before. Typically students start their empirical research in the Spring Semester of their junior year and must be able to conduct research for at least part of the summer. Theoretical projects can of course be conducted any time of year but still require advanced planning and experience.