NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009

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This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009 and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The fellowship supports a research and training plan at a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology of underrepresented minorities. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to David Rodriguez is "Population genetics of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and New World amphibian declines." The host institution for this research is Cornell University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Kelly Zamudio.Amphibians are declining at an unprecedented rate contributing to a decrease in the earth's biodiversity, resulting in potentially dire consequences for ecosystems in which those species play critical roles. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)has been implicated in recent global amphibian declines. This project is investigating the population genetics of Bd in Central and South America to test two competing hypotheses that possibly explain the epidemic; namely, the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis and the spreading pathogen hypothesis.The training objectives are to further develop expertise in i) bioinformatics, ii) experimental laboratory techniques for assaying neutral and expressed genes, and iii) model-based coalescent approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction, population genetics, and studies of selection on pathogenicity genes. The broader impacts include generating critical baseline data on the genetic diversity of a pathogen that is a serious threat to global amphibian biodiversity. The results contribute to implementing a more dynamic approach to amphibian conservation that takes into account evolutionary processes in predictive management efforts and proactive conservation programs. This fellowship will also increase the participation of underrepresented groups at the postdoctoral level.