PhD Studentship: Imperfect Parasite Defence and the Maintenance of Genetic Variation in Natural Populations. NERC GW4+ DTP PhD studentship for September 2026 Entry

University of Exeter - Department of Ecology and Conservation

About the Partnership

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP). The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the University of Exeter plus five Research Organisation partners: British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Natural History Museum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory. The partnership aims to provide a broad training in earth and environmental sciences, designed to train tomorrow’s leaders in earth and environmental science. For further details about the programme please see http://nercgw4plus.ac.uk/

For eligible successful applicants, the studentships comprises:

• An stipend for 3.5 years (currently £20,780 p.a. for 2026/27) in line with UK Research and Innovation rates
• Payment of university tuition fees
• The budget for project costs is £9,000 which can be used for computer, lab, and fieldwork costs necessary for you to conduct your research.
• There is also a conference budget of £2,000 and individual Training Budget of £1,000 for specialist training

Project Aims and Methods

Why are genetic variants that increase disease susceptibility maintained in populations, when natural selection should eliminate them? Understanding how and why genetic variation is maintained is a central question in evolutionary biology and has profound implications for predicting host–pathogen dynamics in changing environments and biodiversity conservation. In this project, you will investigate the evolutionary forces maintaining genetic variation in disease susceptibility in wild populations of bank voles (Myodes glareolus). By combining whole-genome re-sequencing of host populations with systematic pathogen screening, you will test two long-standing hypotheses:

1. Fluctuating selection — Does spatial and temporal variation in pathogen pressure maintain diversity in immune-related genes?
2. Antagonistic pleiotropy — Are alleles that increase disease susceptibility maintained because they confer fitness benefits in other contexts?

You will work closely with a supervisory team whose complementary expertise spans animal evolutionary ecology, molecular ecology, and modelling of complex systems, and obtain interdisciplinary training in state-of-the-art approaches and techniques, which are highly south-after by employers in and outside of academia. The project is ideal for candidates with an interest in fundamental evolutionary questions at the interface of wildlife disease ecology and genetics, and you will be encouraged to shape the project according to your interests.

Useful recruitment links:

For information relating to the research project please contact the lead Supervisor via: b.tschirren@exeter.ac.uk