Postdoctoral Associate

The Urban Evolutionary Entomology Laboratory at Virginia Tech is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral associate to investigate fundamental questions in population genomics and urban evolution using pest insect systems. Research will focus on understanding the genomic mechanisms underlying lineage establishment, persistence, adaptation, and extinction in highly inbred populations inhabiting urban environments. The successful candidate will address questions at the interface of evolutionary genetics, population genomics, and urban ecology, with broad implications for our understanding of adaptation in anthropogenic ecosystems and the evolution of economically important pest species.

Current research themes include insecticide resistance evolution over historic to contemporary time frames, population genomics across socioeconomic landscapes, and the heritability of stress induced epigenetic marks. A variety of next-generation sequencing approaches may be employed, including ddRADseq, whole genome sequencing, targeted sequence capture, and other emerging genomic technologies.

The successful candidate will participate in all aspects of the research program, including experimental design, molecular laboratory work, bioinformatic analyses, data interpretation, and the preparation of peer-reviewed publications. The candidate will be expected to lead first-author publications and contribute to collaborative manuscripts arising from the projects. In addition, the postdoctoral associate will collaborate with Dr. Booth in the development of grant proposals and will have opportunities to contribute to the development of independent research ideas. The candidate will play an active role in laboratory operations, including mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, assisting with project coordination, and fostering a collaborative research environment. The position is designed to support the candidate’s professional development through opportunities in scientific publishing, grant writing, student mentorship, research leadership, scientific outreach, and teaching. Opportunities may also exist to assist the development and delivery of courses related to population and evolutionary genetics, invasive species genomics, and urban evolutionary biology.

Virginia Tech provides a highly collaborative research environment with strengths in genomics, evolutionary biology, ecology, entomology, and computational biology. The successful candidate will have opportunities to interact with scientists across the Department of Entomology, the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, The Invasive Species Collaborative, and other interdisciplinary research programs across the university.

Interested applicants should submit
• A one-page cover letter describing research experience, career goals, and interest in the position
• Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for 3 references.

Informal inquiries are welcome and may be directed to Dr. Warren Booth at warrenbooth@vt.edu.

Ph.D. in evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, genomics, integrative biology, or a closely related discipline, earned no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment, with a minimum of one year of eligibility remaining.
• Strong background in population genomics and evolutionary biology.
• Significant experience with molecular laboratory techniques including DNA extraction, PCR, and genomic library preparation.
• Expertise in next generation sequencing approaches and genomic data analysis.
• Experience with bioinformatic pipelines and command-line computational environments.
• Strong scientific writing and communication skills, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications and publication potential.

Research Experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable: urban evolutionary biology, insect evolutionary biology, demonstrated ability to design and execute independent research projects, insect rearing, student mentoring, scientific outreach and science communication, and contributing to grant proposals.

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Restricted

53,550-65,029

40 hours a week

08/30/2026

Interested applicants should submit
• A one-page cover letter describing research experience, career goals, and interest in the position
• Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for 3 references.

Informal inquiries are welcome and may be directed to Dr. Warren Booth at warrenbooth@vt.edu.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

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