PhD Graduate Research Assistantship in Fish Stress Biology, Microbiome, and Host Genomics

Job Details

Department: Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland
Start Date: Fall 2026
Degree: PhD
Funding: Fully funded through a graduate assistantship (stipend, tuition, health insurance)

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD graduate student to join an interdisciplinary research program focused on stress biology in aquaculture fish, integrating microbiome metagenomics with host functional genomics to understand mechanisms underlying stress resilience, health, and performance.

The successful candidate will contribute to projects examining how aquaculture-relevant stressors (e.g., temperature, salinity, handling, stocking density, hypoxia) influence fish outcomes through coordinated changes in host molecular responses and microbiome composition and function. Research in the lab combines shotgun metagenomics and microbial ecology with host functional genomics approaches, including transcriptomics, pathway analyses, and functional annotation.

In addition to research responsibilities, the selected student will be required to serve as a Teaching Assistant for an Introduction to Aquaculture course as part of their graduate training.

Training and Research Environment
The student will be based at the University of Maryland with access to sequencing resources, high-performance computing, and collaborative expertise in aquaculture genomics, microbiome science, and bioinformatics. Training will emphasize experimental design, reproducible analysis workflows, teaching experience, scientific writing, and professional development, with opportunities for peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Application Process
Interested applicants should email the following materials to mosalem@umd.edu:

1. A brief statement describing research interests and teaching experience or interests
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for 2–3 references

Shortlisted candidates will be guided through the University of Maryland Graduate School application process; however, admission is required to enroll in the PhD program.

Applications will be immediately reviewed until the position is filled.

Requirements

Required and Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree in aquaculture, fisheries, marine biology, biology, or a closely related field, with interest in genomics, microbiology, and/or bioinformatics
• Strong interest in fish stress physiology, microbiome science, and host functional genomics
• Willingness and ability to TA an introductory aquaculture course
• Experience with or interest in high-throughput sequencing, including shotgun metagenomics and/or host long-read RNA-seq
• Familiarity with Linux and data analysis in R and/or Python is an advantage
• Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills

Contact Information