Graduate Position: PhD on Soil Microbial Dynamics in Response to Drought and Wildfire
Graduate Position: PhD on Soil Microbial Dynamics in Response to Drought and Wildfire
The Embedding Molecular Biology in Ecosystem Research (EMBER) project (https://embersci.org/) seeks a PhD student for Fall 2025 to join in investigating the independent and combined influences of drought and wildfire on soil microbiomes, carbon and nutrient cycles, and plant-microbe interactions in the context of forest regeneration. The PhD student will have the opportunity to use integrative ‘omics and models to connect microbial functional groups to ecosystem processes, ecological succession, conifer regeneration, and forest dynamics. The project consists of both laboratory and field-based approaches, in coordination with local and national collaborators. This approach requires significant planning, organization, coordination, and communication. The candidate must have strong communication and organizational skills. All candidates will be expected to engage in open science.
Prior experience in microbial ecology, forest ecology, molecular biology, biogeochemistry, and/or bioinformatics would be useful for this project. The successful candidate will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary research team at institutions across the country. The position would be co-advised by Drs. Tanya Cheeke and Emily Graham and based in the Cheeke lab at Washington State University (WSU).
Project Background. Temperate conifer forests are among the most carbon-dense forests globally and are responsible for most of the western North American forest carbon sink, offsetting up to 30% of annual fossil fuel emissions. Yet, these forests are on fire. The critical ecosystem services these forests provide (e.g., carbon sequestration, habitat, building material) are threatened by the worst megadrought in 1,200 years and increased, intense wildfire. The long-term impact of drought and fire on forest function remains largely uncertain. Because recovery from fire and drought is mediated by tree and microbial responses to stress, understanding these responses is paramount to both basic and applied research. Traditional approaches (e.g., testing the effects of drought or fire independently) are not suited for predicting how novel and compounding stressors (e.g., cascading effects of fire x drought on nutrient availability, toxin release, and metabolism) influence individuals, communities, and ecosystems. We believe integrating across biological subdisciplines is the only approach powerful enough to address this critical scientific frontier. By Embedding Molecular Biology in Ecosystem Research, the EMBER Institute will identify key traits and variables that govern how biological communities respond to and interact with stress caused by fire and drought.
Lab Description. The PhD student will be advised by Drs. Tanya Cheeke and Emily Graham in the School of Biological Sciences at WSU. The Cheeke lab (https://tanyacheeke.com) focuses on understanding how ecological disturbances (fire, invasions) impact plants and microbial communities across scales. Work in the Cheeke lab bridges basic and applied science, and integrates molecular tools, microscopy, and laboratory, field, and greenhouse experiments to address research questions in applied and environmental microbiology. The Graham lab is a hybrid laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Seattle and Richland, WA. Work in the Graham lab leverages quantitative ecosystem ecology to investigate the microbial and biogeochemical mechanisms governing ecosystem responses to disturbances. Current research focuses on precipitation, drought, wildfire, and urbanization impacts on soil and aquatic systems. This position will be based in the Cheeke lab at the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University, Tri-Cities.
The student will also have the opportunity to work with a team of researchers based at the University of Idaho (https://embersci.org/about/). Research interests of the EMBER team span disciplines ranging from cellular biology to forest science to Earth Systems Models.
How to Apply. A BS in a relevant scientific field is required; an MS with a relevant scientific field is preferred. If interested, please email an inquiry with the subject header, “Soil Microbial Dynamics in Response to Drought and Wildfire PhD,” with CV, GPA, relevant experience, skills, and coursework, and a short statement explaining your interest in the position to [email protected] and [email protected]. Application review will begin on May 18, 2025, and the successful applicant will begin their PhD program in the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at WSU in Fall 2025 (Spring 2026 is negotiable depending on candidate qualifications). Acceptance for this position is contingent upon acceptance to the graduate program in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University https://sbs.wsu.edu/graduate-studies/apply/
More information:
- For more information about the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at WSU, please see: https://sbs.wsu.edu/
- For more information about the graduate program in SBS, please see: https://sbs.wsu.edu/graduate-studies/
- For more information about the WSU Tri-Cities campus, please see: https://tricities.wsu.edu/
