Dr Steve Portugal, Animal Behaviour and Physiology

I am looking for a volunteer to join me in Panama in July. The study is looking at the embryonic development of birds, particularly focusing on muscle twitching and metabolic rates during incubation. The fieldwork will involve searching for nests, and using a small non-invasive device to measure heart rate and muscle twitching of eggs in the field. Full training will be provided. More detailed work will focus on anis, and will involve some lab-based work also.

Return flights to Panama, accommodation on the Island, and main meals will be covered. The work will be in conjunction with Dr Christine Riehl at Harvard, and form part of a bigger collaborative project with Prof Mark Hauber (Hunter College New York) and Dr Marcel Honza (Ins. Vert. Biol., Czech Repub.) on cuckoo-host interactions, physiology and energy expenditure.

The fieldwork will be based on Barro Colorado Island (Smithsonian), and will begin on July 13^th, running for approximately 6 weeks. For the last two weeks, the volunteer will be working independently with Dr Riehl and her team, as I have to move on to Australia.

The volunteer is generally expected to be a graduate (or close to graduating), with a good degree in biological sciences. Applicants should be enthusiastic, hard working, reliable, independent and patient. Applicants must be happy living in shared, communal, accommodation.

The applicant must be physically fit, as the fieldwork will involve operating in very hot and humid conditions, and also include a lot of walking and general physical exercise. Previous fieldwork experience is desirable.

The fieldwork will be full-time, including weekends, and be prepared for early morning departures and long days. Fieldwork is physically demanding but awesome if you enjoy it. In general, expect to work hard and learn a lot while having a good time in an amazing place.

The opportunity would suit anyone wanting more fieldwork experience, or keen to improve field techniques with the view to applying for PhDs and such like. It could also suit anyone between postdocs, post PhD etc. Any interested parties, drop me an email for more information and a chat. To apply, please email me a CV and a Covering Letter.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 20th May.