Rebecca Taylor

[Fully-funded ARIES studentship covering tuition fees, maintenance stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2025/26), and research training and support grant (RTSG). International applicants may have the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees waived, but relocation, visa, and health surcharge costs are not covered.] This PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia investigates the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of responses to environmental stress, a cutting-edge topic in evolutionary biology. Supervised by Dr Rebecca Taylor, the project explores how organisms, specifically using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, transmit environmentally induced phenotypic changes to their descendants through non-genetic mechanisms. The research aims to determine whether critical cellular stress responses can be inherited across generations, whether this inheritance enhances population survival and individual fitness in stressful environments, and to uncover the mechanistic basis of this process using advanced techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and candidate regulator screening. The successful candidate will gain comprehensive training in experimental design, statistical analysis, bioinformatics, scientific writing, and presentation, as well as expertise in evolutionary biology, cell biology, and physiological techniques. The studentship includes participation in external training courses, conferences, seminars, research discussion groups, and journal clubs. Applicants should have a strong interest in evolution, ecology, genetics, and stress response biology, and must hold at least a UK equivalent Bachelors (Honours) 2:1 degree in Biological Sciences. English language proficiency is required (IELTS 6.5 overall, 6 in each category). The position is full-time, starting 1 October 2026. Funding is provided through the ARIES studentship, subject to UKRI terms and conditions, covering tuition fees, a maintenance stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2025/26), and a research training and support grant. International applicants may have the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees waived, but additional costs such as relocation, visa, and health surcharge are not covered. The application deadline is 7 January 2025. Interested candidates should apply via the University of East Anglia's postgraduate research portal and ensure they meet all eligibility criteria.