PhD Position in Evolutionary & Developmental Genomics
Location: Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Organization: University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras, Department of Biology
Contract Type: PhD Position
Main Description:
This position is part of the newly funded NSF E-RISE II initiative, an ambitious island-wide effort transforming Puerto Rico into a hub for innovation in life sciences, biotechnology, and computational biology. This multi-institutional project integrates comparative omics, single-cell biology, evolutionary genomics, computational science, and AI to unravel the molecular rules that link genomes to phenotypes across development and deep evolutionary time.
More information on the project: https://www.lifeblueprint-upr.com/
NSF Award: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2435987&HistoricalAwards=false
Project Focus:
The PhD student will join a collaborative team investigating the molecular architecture of development using a comparative framework of butterflies diverged over ~90 million years. The research aims to determine:
- How genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic information is integrated at single-cell resolution
- How cells acquire identity, function, and fate across tissues, life stages, and evolutionary distance
- Which developmental mechanisms are conserved and which are innovation-driven
- How computation and AI can decode complex biological patterns and build predictive models of development
Requirements:
Ideal Candidates - We welcome applicants from diverse scientific backgrounds, including:
- Evolutionary biology, developmental biology, genetics
- Bioinformatics, computational biology, data science, or AI/ML
- Genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell biology, or quantitative approaches
A passion for integrative, big-data, comparative science is essential.
Benefits/Conditions:
- PhD position within a vibrant, interdisciplinary, international research environment
- An incredibly vibrant and enjoyable tropical lifestyle
- Access to cutting-edge technologies: single-cell omics, long-read genome assembly, comparative genomics, high-performance computing, and AI-based data integration
- Opportunities to collaborate across seven partner institutions and the emerging PR-LIFE-DECODE Science & Technology Center
- Training at the interface of evo-devo, multi-omics, bioinformatics, and quantitative biology
- A supportive, inclusive research community committed to workforce development and scientific innovation
How to Apply:
Please send a CV, brief statement of research interests, and contact information for 2–3 references to:
Riccardo Papa
Email: rpapa.lab@gmail.com, riccardo.papa@upr.edu
Florence Piel
Email: florence.piel@upr.edu
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Contact Information:
Riccardo Papa
Full Professor, Department of Biology
Director of High Throughput Sequencing Facility
University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras
Julio García Díaz (JGD) 213
Rio Piedras, San Juan PR 00931
Tel: 787-764-0000 ext 4827 (office) or 7764 (lab)
Fax: 787-764-3875
Lab website: www.riccardopapalab.com
