PhD assistantship in genomics and disease ecology

I am looking to fill a fully funded PhD assistantship in the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment at Auburn University, beginning January 2027. Research in the Willoughby lab broadly examines how genetic and genomic variation shapes the persistence, evolution, and health of wild populations. Our work combines whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, experiments, and quantitative modeling to address questions in conservation genetics, evolutionary biology, and disease ecology. Additional information about our research and lab group is available on the Willoughby Lab website (https://willoughbylab.auburn.edu).

The student will contribute to a newly funded project investigating brown-spot needle blight, an emerging threat to loblolly pine forests and timber production in the southeastern United States. This project continues a large interdisciplinary effort to characterize the fungi associated with the disease and understand its effects on pine growth and forest ecology. The student’s research will examine how genomic characteristics of pine-associated fungi, their responses to environmental stress, and fungal community composition contribute to variation in disease severity. The research will likely combine whole-genome sequencing, controlled experiments, RNA sequencing, and predictive modeling. The student will gain experience in fungal culturing, comparative genomics, bioinformatics, gene-expression analysis, and the integration of genomic, environmental, and ecological data. The precise emphasis of the dissertation can be shaped around the student’s interests within the broader goals of the funded project.

The project is part of a large, interdisciplinary collaboration involving forest pathologists, geneticists, spatial scientists, extension specialists, graduate and undergraduate students, and scientists from Auburn University and the U.S. Forest Service. The ability and willingness to communicate across disciplines will therefore be important. The student should be interested in learning both laboratory and computational approaches and in connecting fundamental biological questions with an applied forest-health problem. Previous experience with molecular laboratory methods, fungal biology, genomics, bioinformatics, statistics, or programming is desirable, but applicants are not expected to arrive with experience in all—or even most—of these areas. Please do not self-select yourself out of applying. There are many ways to acquire the skills needed for a successful graduate experience, and the position is designed to provide training across laboratory, computational, and quantitative components of the research. More important qualifications include intellectual curiosity, persistence, a willingness to learn unfamiliar methods, clear communication, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Auburn University is a very high research activity institution located in a mid-sized community in east-central Alabama. Auburn and neighboring Opelika offer a relatively low cost of living, restaurants, farmers markets, community events, and the Gogue Performing Arts Center. The nearby Kreher Preserve and Nature Center, Chewacla State Park, Tuskegee National Forest, and other public lands provide year-round opportunities for outdoor recreation. Graduate students in the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment receive a competitive stipend, tuition remission, and opportunities for professional development.

I will interview prospective students before they submit a formal application to Auburn’s graduate program. Interested candidates should email Dr. Janna Willoughby at jwilloughby@auburn.edu with: 1) a brief description of their background and research interests;
2) an explanation of why this project interests them; and a PDF of their CV.

Informal inquiries are welcome. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and interviews are likely to occur no later than October 1, 2026.

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