Postdoctoral Researcher

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher for a minimum two-year appointment to work in the lab of Dr. Zachary MacDonald (University of California, Riverside) in close collaboration with Dr. Brad Shaffer (University of California, Los Angeles) on a range of landscape and conservation genomics projects focused on butterflies and other insects. Several of these projects are associated with the broader California Conservation Genomics Project (ccgproject.org). The position will be based in person at UC Riverside, with frequent visits to UCLA. Remote appointments are not possible.

The MacDonald and Shaffer labs have multiple whole-genome insect datasets already assembled and ready for analysis and publication. Additional conservation genomics projects are also getting underway in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. For applicants interested in contributing to new and emerging projects, opportunities for field work are available, and prior field experience would therefore be desirable.

Required qualifications include a PhD in bioinformatics, evolutionary ecology/biology, or a related field. We are looking for candidates with strong bioinformatic and publishing experience, including assembling reference genomes using HiFi or other long-read sequencing data, generating VCF files with GATK or related pipelines, and conducting whole-genome analyses.

The anticipated start date is January 1, 2027, or as soon as possible. The initial appointment will be for two years, with the possibility of extension subject to funding and satisfactory performance. Salary will be commensurate with experience and follow the University of California Postdoctoral Scholar salary scale ($71,491–$85,736 annually as of October 1, 2026). The position includes the comprehensive UC Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Applicants should submit a CV, a brief cover letter describing research experience and interests, and contact information for three references to zmacdona@ucr.edu and brad.shaffer@ucla.edu (subject line “Insect Conservation Genomics Postdoc”). Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

The MacDonald Lab in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside is recruiting up to two PhD students interested in conservation genomics, landscape genomics, and insect biodiversity.

We use chromosome-scale reference genome assemblies and whole-genome resequencing, often from hundreds of individuals sampled across species’ entire ranges, to study population structure, connectivity, local adaptation, species limits, and conservation. Much of our work is associated with the California Conservation Genomics Project, and we have several very large, pre-processed datasets ready to rock for immediate analysis.

Students may develop projects from these existing datasets, contribute to ongoing collaborative studies, or establish their own landscape or conservation genomics projects on insect taxa of interest. The lab has numerous butterfly and damselfly projects at different stages of completion and strong collaborative networks across UCR’s Department of Entomology, UCR’s Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, and many other universities and conservation agencies across both the US and Canada.

Applicants with experience in bioinformatics, coding, statistics, population genetics, or genomics will be prioritized. We maintain a fully functioning wet lab but increasingly outsource routine molecular work, so wet-lab experience is of less importance than analytical experience, natural-history knowledge, and strong field skills. Depending on students’ interests, projects could involve extensive travel across species’ ranges, remote fieldwork, camping, and working and camping out of a vehicle.

UC Riverside has one of the world’s leading entomology departments and a very strong community in evolutionary genomics. Riverside and nearby communities such as Redlands offer a unique combination of affordable living relative to other University of California campuses and exceptional access to wild places across the Transverse Ranges, Joshua Tree National Park, the Sierra Nevada, and the Southern California coast. It is one of the few places where one can surf, complete an epic road or mountain bike ride, and alpine ski/snowboard all in a single day.

Prospective students should send a CV, a brief description of their research interests and relevant experience, and contact information for references to Zachary MacDonald at zmacdona@ucr.edu.

Undergraduate Students

The MacDonald Lab in the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside is seeking undergraduate students interested in conservation genomics, landscape genomics, evolutionary biology, and insect biodiversity.

Students may contribute to ongoing research involving butterflies, damselflies, and other insect taxa through genomic data analysis, bioinformatics, fieldwork, or independent research projects.

Anyone is welcome to apply! No previous research experience is required—students with an interest in insects, conservation, evolution, genomics, coding, or fieldwork are encouraged to get involved.

Interested students should email Zachary MacDonald at zmacdona@ucr.edu with a brief description of their interests and availability.