Cellular agriculture, nutrition, and society Tufts University in United States

We are seeking two more fully funded PhD applicants to explore the social, environmental and/or nutritional implications of cellular agriculture! Students will be funded via a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture National Needs Graduate Fellowship (NNF) Award, the Tufts-USDA National Needs Doctoral Fellowship Program In Cellular Agriculture, Nutrition And Society. Core faculty include myself (program director), Nicole Tichenor Blackstone, Fang Fang Zhang, Joel B. Mason, Parke Wilde, Tim Griffin, and David Kaplan (Director of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA)).Summary: Cellular agriculture (cell ag) is a rapidly growing field which seeks to address the growing environmental, animal welfare, labor, and public health concerns of industrial livestock production by creating agricultural products from cell culture. Most research currently focuses on the biological and engineering aspects of cultivated meat and other cell ag products. However, tremendous gaps in knowledge exist regarding questions like: How will consumer acceptance and understanding of these products evolve? What policies and safeguards will be necessary to ensure this technology has its intended impact on the world? How does the environmental impact vary across processes and products? We are excited to recruit new PhD students to the The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University to explore questions like this, working under faculty with expertise in areas such as economics, sustainable food systems, food policy, life cycle assessment, nutritional epidemiology, and nutrition science. Via the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA), Tufts University has a robust ecosystem of 100+ individuals from the undergraduate to faculty level working on cellular agriculture. This is a unique opportunity for students interested in thinking about the social and environmental implications of cellular agriculture to do so side-by-side with bench scientists. Requirements: This funding opportunity is restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Successful applicants will have a demonstrable interest in cellular agriculture and a strong background of academic success to date and must otherwise meet all requirements for admission to one of the Friedman School doctoral programs. As such, you must have either completed, or be in the process of completing, a graduate degree. Applicants from underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. How to apply: Interested applicants are encouraged to first submit an informal pre-submission inquiry at their earliest convenience to Dr. Sean Cash, program director, at [email protected]; please include a current resume or CV as well as a brief email that describes your interest in the program. Questions about the formal application process should be addressed to Ms. Marny Mitchell, Director of Admissions, at [email protected].…more