Bird Communities, Scavengers, and Disease Ecology & Evolution

We are seeking up to two PhD students to undertake research involving interactions between bird communities, urban food waste, scavengers, and the evolution and transmission of diseases. Two separate projects are envisioned (likely for two separate students): (a) to undertake a robust field program resurveying bird communities around Vancouver and analyzing this data in the context of previous surveys and an impending tree classification to explore opportunities for urban bird conservation; (b) to model the ecology and evolution of transmission, virulence, and spillover for wildlife diseases (including zoonotic ones) in this context. The successful candidate(s) will join a vibrant team of scholars and practitioners seeking a “Harmonic City”, where bird communities thrive alongside human ones, imbuing cities and suburbs with song.Students are invited to propose alternative approaches and add-ons, including components with fieldwork, statistical analysis, and mathematical modeling, depending on their interests and skill set.The successful candidate(s) will likely be supervised by Kai Chan with co-supervision by Chadi Saad-Roy (for disease modeling), and mentorship from Harold Eyster. They will be part of vibrant communities of interdisciplinary scholars at UBC, including CHANS Lab, IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability), the Biodiversity Research Centre, and the Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Solutions Collaboratory (IBioS) (and, if applicable, also various communities at UBC in mathematical biology and infectious disease dynamics).Eligible CandidatesCanadian and International students are encouraged to apply. The applicant should have successfully completed a MSc and/or have a strong background in field research and experimental design and statistical analysis, and/or mathematical modeling. Ideal candidates will have strong communication and organizational skills, the ability to work collaboratively in a team, and a keen interest in interdisciplinary research. Candidates should generally have a first-authored article in a peer-reviewed journal published or in press.An annual Graduate Research Assistant Stipend will be available for 4 years to ensure funding at a minimum rate of CDN $28,000/year plus benefits. Additional funding will be available in the form of Teaching Assistantships. If the candidate does not have NSERC or similar funding they will be expected to be proactive in applying for awards.Interested applicants should apply to the RES PhD program by December 15 2025. Students wishing to indicate and assess interest before applying can send a cover letter, CV, a statement of grades (including TOEFL score for international students) by email (subject: “Bird communities, Scavengers, and Disease PhD position”) to kai [dot] chan [at] ubc [dot] ca and chadi [dot] saadroy [at] ubc [dot] ca. The anticipated starting date will be September 1 2026 assuming UBC entrance requirements are met.This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.Please refer to reference number LI-58879 during correspondence about this position.To express interest and initiate contact to the principal investigator applicants are encouraged to follow the instructions as provided in the position description. Please note that applicants will have to complete an online application [https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission] to the University of British Columbia and gain admission as a graduate student to the university. Applicants should review the graduate program profile [https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/15579] to learn about admission requirements, application deadlines, program duration, tuition, or to read student and alumni stories. Please visit the researcher profile of the supervisor [https://www.grad.ubc.ca/node/13441] for this position to learn more about their research.About UBCThe University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC's entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.Doctoral studies at UBC VancouverUBC is a public university with a comprehensive program offering - covering all major academic disciplines and degree levels, with both research- and course-based program options. More than 50,000 students attend UBC Vancouver. As a PhD student at UBC Vancouver you'll be part of a diverse community of over 3,600 doctoral scholars at an institution that recognises and rewards the significant contributions of doctoral research. UBC is at the forefront of responding to and building on the extraordinary changes happening in our societies and our world, through reimagining approaches to research graduate education and exploring flexible methodologies for learners to develop needed expertise. UBC's Public Scholars Initiative [ www.grad.ubc.ca/psi ] for example is a pioneering program designed to encourage and support doctoral students to reimagine the PhD, contribute to the public good, and with their doctoral work rise to the challenges that increasingly define our times.At UBC, you will be supported with a range of professional development [ www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/professional-development ] workshops and services, and we'll partner with you to ensure you have a graduate game plan [ www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/professional-development/graduate-game-plan ] for academic and professional success.You are encouraged to review the awards and scholarship database [ www.grad.ubc.ca/scholarships-awards-funding/award-opportunities ] to determine funding opportunities for your doctoral degree. UBC Vancouver guarantees a minimum of CAD $22,000 of funding [ www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/minimum-funding-policy-phd-students ] to eligible students for your first four years of PhD study with many programs offering higher funding packages. Funding highly varies by program and will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and awards secured. Most international students benefit from the International Tuition Award [ www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/international-tuition-award ] and PhD students usually qualify for the President's Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award [ www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/presidents-academic-excellence-initiative-phd-award ].About UBC's Faculty Of ScienceUBC Science brings together a community of scholars internationally recognized for its commitment to discovery and innovation—in the lab and in the classroom. Our faculty conduct top-tier research in the life, physical, earth and computational sciences, driving insights into sustainability, biodiversity, human health, nanoscience, new materials, probability, artificial intelligence, exoplanets and more. Ranked among the world's top 40 universities, UBC's research prowess in environmental science, math, physics, plant and animal science, computer science, geology, oceanography and biology is consistently rated best in Canada by international and national rankings.About VancouverVancouver is a dynamic, cosmopolitan and progressive city, consistently ranked as one of the top cities to live in the world. Canada's third largest city has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches, and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains. It's the perfect backdrop to your academic research.