Dr Julio Isidro Sanchez
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
A fully funded four-year Ph.D. is offered for a project entitled “ Prediction of disease outbreaks based on wheat cultivars and diseases genomic data models”. The primary objective is to enhance disease control through scientific advances in our understanding of pathogen virulence and novel disease control mechanisms. In order to enhance the efficacy of septoria disease control options, including chemical application and region-specific host genotype deployment, an enhanced understanding of pathogen virulence, and a better understanding of the septoria host- pathogen interactions are needed. Here, we propose to use genomic information from both the cultivar and the pathogen to i) improve the prediction of disease outbreaks and ii) to create genomic selection models that will allow predicting disease infections in new varieties that have been not phenotyped. The Ph.D. studentship will adopt statistical approaches to improve genomic prediction models associated with disease wheat traits.
SKILLS
*Applicants are sought from a highly motivated individual who has a first or upper second-class degree in agricultural sciences, plant science, crop science, statistics or closely related disciplines and a willingness to learn.
*The incumbent will participate in a multi-institutional collaborative project and work on predictions models of agriculturally important traits, including abiotic and biotic stress resistance. The prospective candidate should be highly motivated to perform research at an advanced level.
* Teamwork and excellent oral and written English skills are essential. Candidates with a master’s degree in agricultural, molecular biology, statistics, genetics,plant science or plant breeding are preferred.
The scholarship provide competitive stipend and tuition remission.
Please compile a letter of application describing interests, qualifications, and a resume. Please add the contact information (addresses, e-mail and phone numbers) of at least three references into a single PDF file and send by email to [Email Address Removed].
Funding Notes
This project is funded by the Science foundation Ireland and feeds into a larger collaborative project between University College Dublin (UCD), SFI and Origin enterprise entitled “ Crop OptimisatioN through Sensing, Understanding & viSualisation”.
Knowledge of R programming and statistical analysis of genotypic and phenotypic data sets are preferred but not exclusive.
This position requires analyzing large datasets as well as working in the field or greenhouse to collect phenotypic data.