The McKenna Lab

Revealing the Evolution & Genomic Basis of Insect Biodiversity Through Field, Laboratory & Collections-Based Research

Overview

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People: Professor & principal investigator Duane McKenna, research assistant professor Stephanie Haddad, postdocs (Austin Baker, Lynette Strickland), PhD research associates (Rich Adams, Cristian Beza, Dave Clarke, Xuankun Li & Seunggwan Shin), graduate (PhD) students (Michael Charles, Soohyun Jeong), undergraduates, and other lab members.

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Research: Insect systematics and evolution with a focus on beetles (order Coleoptera), geographic patterns of diversity and endemism (worldwide), biodiversity conservation, general natural history, genome evolution, and the ecology, evolution and genomic basis of plant-feeding.

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Affiliation: Center for Biodiversity Research (CBio) in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Memphis—a leading metropolitan research and teaching institution in Memphis, TN, USA.

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August 2022:

The McKenna Lab is searching for 3 postdocs in insect genomics and evolution. Positions L22826 & L22827 are focused on specific ongoing projects and involve data analysis and grant-writing. Position L20574 will work closely with me and others in the lab on data generation and analysis for a diversity of projects. All positions are open until filled. Please apply separately for each using the links provided: 

Insect genomics—Agriculture & forestry (position L22826): Analyze genomic data from beetles and other insects with a particular focus on economically important crop and forest pest species. Specific areas of study include the ecology, evolution, and genomic basis of insect-plant interactions and the genomic basis of invasiveness. Collaborative grant-writing is an important part of this position. This is a 12-month appointment with potential of extension contingent upon continued funding and satisfactory performance. https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/32150

Insect genomics—Climate change & diet (position L22827): Analyze genomic data from beetles with a particular focus on genome evolution in isolation under a changing climate in the sub-Antarctic, the genomic basis of specialized plant-feeding, and the roles of symbiotic microbes in insect-plant interactions. Collaborative grant-writing is an important part of this position. This is a 12-month appointment with potential of extension contingent upon continued funding and satisfactory performance. https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/32156

Insect genomics—Evolution (position L20574): Primarily responsible for data generation and analysis for a variety of ongoing comparative genomic, phylogenomic, and evolutionary studies of insects. Will work closely with Dr. McKenna, collaborators, and other lab members. Strong skills in bioinformatics, interest in organismal biology and evolution, and strong communication and interpersonal skills are required. Initial appointment is or one year, renewable for at least 3 additional years, contingent upon continued funding and satisfactory performance. https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/31417

Contact for questions: Duane McKenna (dmckenna@memphis.edu)