Ph.D. Students

I am actively seeking an exceptionally talented and motivated Ph.D. student to join the lab in Autumn 2012. I would be particularly pleased to find a student with interests in evolutionary game theory or network theory with applications to bibliometrics, but finding the right person is more important than the subject area.

Because our research is theoretical in scope - I do not operate a wet lab or field resarch program - strong mathematical and computational skills are essential. A biology degree is not essential so long as students are interested in biological problems; I am happy to consider students with a bachelor's degree in such fields as mathematics, statistics, physics, economics, and computer science.

Students in the Bergstrom lab tend to independently develop their own projects in areas of evolution, mathematical biology, or related disciplines. These projects may, but need not, intersect with the other ongoing activities in the lab. I place a strong premium on students who are interactive and interdisciplinary in their working styles.

• A brief summary of your biological, mathematical, and computational background.
• A description of your research experience to date.
• Your thoughts on how you would fit into the ongoing research in the Bergstrom lab. Take a look at the lab web pages, and describe an area or two of interest. What would you bring to the group, and what you be able to learn from the group?
• An informal transcript (cut-and-paste into email is fine) and GRE scores if available.

Applications will be processed through the UW Department of Biology Graduate Admissions Program.

Postdoctoral researchers

I am always willing to consider exceptionally talented individuals for postdoctoral research positions, in any area related to our current research domain, including theoretical biology, evolutionary game theory, diseaese evolution, bibliometrics, or network theory. Finding a precise match to our current projects is much less important than finding someone who is exceptionally talented and highly interactive. Where we do not have funding already available, I am willing to work with the right applicants to develop applications for outside funding.

Please contact me by email if you are interested: cbergst@u.washington.edu.

Undergraduate students

Research in the Bergstrom lab is mathematical and computational; I do not have a wet lab or a field research program. Thus I am only seeking undergraduate researchers who have strong backgrounds in computer programming and/or mathematics. It is not necessary to be a biology major; past undergraduate researchers in the lab have come from departments including biochemistry, mathematics, and computer science.

Undergraduate researchers in the lab benefit not only from the research project itself but also the opportunity to become members of a highly interactive, creative, and minimally-hierarchical group of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty. Applicants should be strongly motivated and comfortable working independently. Research positions within the lab are initially unpaid, but research credit is available.

If you are interested in conducting undergraduate research in the Bergstrom lab, please contact me by email at cbergst@u.washington.edu. With your email, include all of the following:

• An explanation of why you are interested in the lab: browse the lab website and give me a sense of the project or projects that you might be interested in joining.
• A description of your relevant background in biology, mathematics, statistics, and computer programming.
• An informal transcript.
• A paragraph or two about the most interesting scientific paper (not from our group!) that you've read over the past year. It need not relate to the work you hope to do in our lab.