Graduate Students (updated March 20, 2026)

Applications for the IB graduate program (PhD only) are normally due the first week of December. See more information here.

We hope to recruit a new graduate student in 2026 (for start in 2027).

For prospective students interested in co-writing an NSF GRFP, please email me with your CV, transcript, and a short statement of your research interests by June 20, 2026. I will decide by early July who I can help write GRFP applications. Students whose research interests align well with the lab’s research, who have a competitive track record of research experience, who have some experience with scientific writing, and who are eligible for the NSF GRFP are strongly encouraged to write me prior to June 20. I will request to speak with references prior to agreeing to support an NSF GRFP applicant. If you are already past this deadline but are confident you can write a grant quickly, please send inquiries after the deadline. However, if I have already committed to a few GRFP I may not be able to help this year.

For other prospective students, I will hold general information sessions in August and October 2026 (more info will be posted closer to the date). If you are interested in our work, please attend an information session and apply to the program. I will not hold individual interviews prior to the application deadline.

Prospective students with an interest in combining any of the following fields are encouraged to apply: natural history, phylogenetics, molecular biology, evolutionary ecology, and chemical ecology. Currently, all research projects in the lab are tied somehow to chemical defenses, and I have a strong preference for recruiting students interested in this specific topic. Prior experience doing research and fieldwork or labwork is necessary; a background encompassing multiple skillsets (fieldwork, labwork, bioinformatics) and across more than one field of research (e.g., molecular biology, physiology, systematics) is highly recommended. A current project that I am keen to recruit for in 2026 includes analysis of hybrid zone dynamics in poison frogs and how that impacts their phenotype, fitness, and evolution.

Postdocs

I encourage postdocs to seek out independent fellowships like those listed here, here, here, here, and here. Prospective NSF PRFB fellows, if you contact me in advance, I am more than happy to help write/review your proposals. If you have several publications under your belt already, I would recommend taking a look at postdoctoral funding opportunities through the Miller Institute at UC Berkeley.

Undergraduates

We have anywhere from 5-15 undergraduate researchers in the lab at a time. Please look for open URAP opportunities to join the lab or connect with one of the graduate students or postdocs in the lab.

Additional Resources

At Berkeley

• Fellowships for graduate students at Berkeley

• Other fellowships available to international students

Looking for herpetologically minded labs? Check out the list of PIs looking for students and postdocs organized by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles